He-Man Godzilla: Hard Choices
by Japan Boy
Summary: 3 of 4 stories in honor of Godzilla's 60th year: taking place four months after the 2002-2004 series, Godzilla arrives on Eternia & becomes a threat to all forces. He-Man & Skeletor must join together to repel the Monster King, making difficult decisions along the way. In the end, He-Man must make the hardest of all - one he may not carry out. Please review if read.


For Japanese actor Kenpachiro Satsuma, who played Godzilla in the hugely successful Heisei series from 1984 to

1995 (I met Kenpachiro Satsuma at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan in August 1997. He was a great man!).

For Roger Sweet, whose creation of the character He-Man has become a worldwide phenomenon since his debut in

1981, spawning four animated series, several comic book series & a live-action 1987 movie with Dolph Lundgren.

To the loving memory of voice actors Linda Gary & George Ralph DiCenzo, whose best-known credits were in the

Filmation 'He-Man' & 'She-Ra' animated television series of the 1980s (Linda Gary died on October 5th, 1995

from brain cancer at age 50; George Ralph DiCenzo died on August 9th, 2010 from sepris at the age of 70).

To the loving memories of Lou Scheimer, Norman 'Norm' Prescott & Hal Sutherland, the founding fathers of the

Filmation Production Company which brought 'He-Man', 'She-Ra' & many other animated series to life (Norman

Prescott died on July 2, 2005 of natural causes at age 78; Lou Scheimer died on October 17, 2013 from Parkinson's

Disease at age 84; Hal Sutherland died on January 16, 2014 of complications to gall bladder disease, also at age 84).

To the loving memory of the 298 people aboard the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 which crashed down in the

Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Our hearts, prayers & thoughts go out to the victim's families of all the nearly 300 souls.

**HE-MAN / GODZILLA:**

**HARD CHOICES**

2004, 2014 by Anthony Ogozalek

**PROLOGUE**

_Inside Castle Grayskull, the planet of Eternia:_

She sleeps with unrest & turmoil in her bed.

She has been doing so for a few days now, unable to determine the cause of the sudden illness in which she has been experiencing, her condition consisting of high fevers that has nothing to do from the venom King Hssss injected her with during his first attack upon Grayskull.

That venom was all but purged from her system.

What ails her _now _is something else entirely different.

And she could not surmise why she feels this way.

Pictures kept swirling in her mind like paint being mixed with no clear portrait coming into focus.

Her bird-like wings spread out by unconscious instinct, she continues to breathe in sweating gasps.

_The Mystic Mountains:_

Zodak's meditation was as uneasy as The Sorceress' sleep, having the same symptoms as the Guardian of Castle Grayskull for as many days. _He _was no closer to deciphering the cause for it than her, & it made him even more uneasy. A bald-headed black man with red chest armor, silver gloves, boots & waist armor, Zodak mumbled in his meditation as his double-pointed staff rested on the far side of the room where his meditations take place.

His mind is as blurry as ever, but he will not cease trying to get them to form a picture which will, hopefully, explain the reason for his unrest.

Zodak focuses even harder.

**CHAPTER I**

_Snake Mountain, the Dark Hemisphere:_

An eerie moon appears in a gloomy purple sky, perfectly reflecting the area's feelings & personality of all who dwell there. It is _this_ area where Snake Mountain resides at, a structure which, hence its name, stands with large snake statues wrapped around it, sprouting three heads with each mouth spewing a steady stream of lava into the rivers of it below. Originally it sprouted only _one _of these heads until King Hssss – the place's one-time ruler – unleashed the snake beast Serpos with the Medallion of his name, bringing it to life as a three-headed monstrosity & having it wreak untold havoc & chaos before He-Man used the power of Grayskull to seal Serpos back into Snake Mountain once again as unmoving stone, just as the Elders did many years ago.

Once it _was _King Hssss' stronghold & his army of vicious cold-blooded Snake Men before being sealed up inside the Void by none other than the Council of Elders & Zodak, the Cosmic Enforcer.

Now it is home to the one called Skeletor – a vile blue-skinned master of the mystic arts who once went by the name of Keldor before getting his face melted away by a splash of acid that was meant for King Randor when they first fought at the Hall of Wisdom long ago.

But no matter _who _rules/resides at Snake Mountain, it is a place of utter evil like everything else in the Dark Hemisphere.

He stands on a huge spire of rock which measures three-quarters the height of Snake Mountain itself, his Havoc Staff in hand. Accompanying him are his lieutenant (& constant betrayer) Evil-Lyn, her own Shaping Staff in hand. Both tools operate in a similar fashion but differ in appearance: Skeletor's Havoc Staff has the skull of an animal with a pair of twisting horns adorned on the sides, while Evil-Lyn's Shaping Staff has a purple crystal ball held by a bony three-fingered, clawed hand.

Skeletor's warriors are gathered around them: Tri-Klops, a master swordsman & tech wizard with a visor that has three singular eyes he can choose at will; Beast Man, a large orange-furred animal-like humanoid that can make most of Eternia's creatures do his bidding by telepathy; Mer-Man, an aquatic green-skinned fish-like warrior who has ruled the planet's seas; Clawful, a large & muscular crab-like warrior with a childish nature & personality; Whiplash, a hefty lizard-like combatant – a Caligar – who once lived in Subternia until he was banished by King Ceratus, his own brother; Two Bad, a combo of one-time bounty hunters Tuvar & Baddhra fused together by Skeletor himself when they failed to cooperate to dispose of He-Man; Trapjaw, another blue-skinned fighter with a green face, robotic lower jaw, right arm & left hand.

Only Stinkor stood at a distance: originally named Odiphus, he became an exiled bandit from his hometown of Pelleezeea after revealing its location to an evil warrior named Prahvus. Escaping from an Eternian prison, he goes to Snake Mountain in hopes of joining with Skeletor's band. In an accident, Odiphus' body morphed into a black-&-white skunk creature with a horrific stench that even offends his partners. He wears orange armor & twin blue tanks that (mostly) keeps his wicked stench contained, but still gets asked to be at a distance from his companions.

But like everyone else, he's most excited about Skeletor's latest scheme: one he implements with a device of a metal, five-foot-tall cylinder with a crystal sphere on top, one not unlike on Evil-Lyn's staff. On the body fixed in the center are buttons. Tri-Klops presses some of these, finishing up his latest assignment.

"Done, Skeletor", he says, facing him. "As per your instructions, I've had the thing transported to _exactly _where you wanted it placed at."

"Excellent, Tri-Klops", Skeletor said, sounding very pleased. "Get up the holo-projector again & let's all see what else we can find with our new toy."

"Give me one minute", Tri-Klops said with an evil smile, already pushing buttons.

Mer-Man allows a joyful & evil laugh, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Oh, I can hardly _wait _to see the looks on the faces of He-Man & the other Masters when they see what it is that _we've _gone & caught – like fish on a hook!", he says, his voice in a gurgling tone.

"Yeah! I gotta say, this is probably Skeletor's best-est idea _yet!_", Clawful says with a small laugh.

"_I'll _say it is!", Beast Man said, grinning big. "This new plan of his involves my _favorite_ subject – beasts!"

"And what beasts they _are!_", said Trapjaw. "Even the mighty dragons & serpintaurs can't _begin _to compare to our catches concerning their size _and _strength!"

"Precisely _why _we want them, boys", Evil-Lyn said with a smirk. "For all of their cunning & viciousness, the beasts here at home just aren't big enough for us to do business with in conquering Eternia. And with Serpos obeying only King Hssss instead of us, _he's _out of the question."

"And Serpos killed nearly _us _in process!", said Two Bad's Baddhra side.

"For once, I agree!", Two Bad's Tuvar said. "That wretched King Hssss almost caused Snake Mountain to be our _tomb! _What I wouldn't do to bash in _each _one of his _heads!_"

"King Hssss _will _pay dearly for his treachery along with the Masters themselves & everyone else who dared to defy us, Two Bad", Skeletor said. "But as fate would have it, something good _did _come from his reawakening of the snake god Serpos: if King Hssss can have a creature of _that _size under his command, who's to say that _we _can't?"

"Which is why you had me build this device, Skeletor", Tri-Klops said. "This, combined with the crystal we found shortly after Serpos was defeated four months ago…"

Tri-Klops opens a side hatch to reveal a glowing lime-green crystal pulsating with power six inches in length to show to all. He closes it up before resuming.

"We're able to scour vast worlds far beyond our own, & even get a first glimpse at what inhabits that particular place."

"And should we _like _whatever we see, my magic in conjunction with the crystal's can teleport the creature from its homeworld straight to ours", Evil-Lyn says. "Upon arrival, we'll place it under _our _control so that it will obey us & _only _us!"

"Indeed, dear Evil-Lyn", Skeletor said. "With these 'Super-Beasts' in our possession, conquest of Eternia will be within our grasp in no time."

"Ha! Even _He-Man _won't be able to defeat us with _these _babies by our side!", Whiplash says, smiling. Skeletor couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"_That _shall be the icing on the cake!", he said. "With He-Man, those accursed Masters, the Sorceress _and _that wretch King Hssss out of the way, taking Grayskull & all of Eternia will be a _cinch!_"

The blue-skinned sorcerer lets out a laugh of encouragement.

"_Nobody _will stand a _chance _against our new pets!", Stinkor says. ""Then it will finally be the time where _evil _prevails once & for all!"

"Truer words have never been spoken, Stinkor", Skeletor says. "Now, Tri-Klops – let us see what _else _we can locate with our brand new toy. We've already gotten five others, so how about making it an even half-dozen to our fine army?"

"All tuned in & ready to be put on display, Lord Skeletor", the triple-eyed swordsman said, pressing the last button. An upside-down triangular holo-screen measuring seven feet tall & ten feet wide shoots up from the top of the cylindrical device & began showing several monsters from various worlds via a translucent screen. Beast after beast was shown, with most of the warriors giving their most professional & honest opinions on each one.

"Ewww…too _slimy!_", Mer-Man said.

"Ugh! Too _ugly!_", said Beast Man.

"Uhhh…too _stupid!_", Clawful said.

"Too…_two-faced!_", Two Bad said – both heads.

"Eh…too _mechanical!_", Trapjaw said.

"Too _stinky!_", Stinkor said, waving his hand in front of his nose.

_Like _these _morons should talk!_, Skeletor said to himself.

_These buffoons haven't looked in the _mirror _lately!_, Evil-Lyn thought.

Before either of them could say anything to the others in disgust, the screen suddenly showed a creature that has caught the attention of everyone. They stared at the display as if hypnotized, watching as the show-cast monster destroys its surroundings & invading vehicles with ease. Sounds of admiration came from every mouth as they watch in awe & amazement at the beast in its rampage.

"Now _that's _what I call a _beast!_", Beast Man said in a toothy smile, his enthusiasm shared by the rest.

"Just _look_ at how destructive it is!", said Two Bad's Tuvar head.

"Him make _grand _addition in army!", said the Baddhra head as both nod in agreement.

"So vile & vicious!", said Mer-Man.

"So malevolent & relentless!", said Tri-Klops.

"So _evil!_", said Stinkor.

"So very…_big!_", said Clawful with a chuckle.

"And so very _perfect!_", Evil-Lyn said, smiling & flashing her teeth wickedly.

"Oh, we've _gotta _add _this _one to the bunch!", said Trapjaw.

"What do _you _say, Skeletor?", Whiplash says, turning to him & gesturing to the screen with his hands. "Is _this _one to your liking?"

"Oh _yes_, Whiplash! He will do _nicely!_", Skeletor says, turning to Evil-Lyn & pointing to the screen. "Summon it."

Evil-Lyn responds with her smile.

"You _heard _the man, boys!", she says, facing them. "We've got him hooked, & now it's time to reel him in!"

Beast Man & the others raise their fists into the air & let out a cheer as if they were cheering their favorite sports team. Tri-Klops was the first to break stride to press some buttons on the device. Once he was done, he steps back as the rest follow his lead.

"The coordinates are all locked in place to this planet _and _its creature!", he says. "You're _up_, Evil-Lyn!"

"And so I am!", she says, standing nine feet in front of the device & pointing her staff. Both the sphere at the end & her eyes glow bright in unison with power. When she was fully charged, Evil-Lyn chanted her spell that was successful in summoning the other creatures before it.

"Ancient forces far & near, tap into that beast's homeworld & bring him _here!_"

A beam of pure white energy shot forth from her staff & struck the device, turning it into a metal bulb. A few moments pass before a bright, blinding flash of white light covered all of Snake Mountain & the surrounding area.

_Late June, Earth, Osaka, Japan, 10:00 a.m.:_

The sun shone brightly on a warm day in the mid-morning hours of Japan's third largest city after both Tokyo & Yokohama. On a picture-perfect day like this without a single cloud in the sky, most people would normally be out enjoying a refreshingly cool drink or ice cream on a cone or in a cup as they go on their daily business or heading to the beaches/pools to cool off.

Instead, they're running for their very lives.

Sirens across the city from the Nankogai Port to the Hirano Ward & further blared as clusters of pedestrians run rampant in the streets, some with personal belongings & others with just their families & loved ones. Roads were all jammed with abandoned vehicles as Japanese police ordered the citizens out & travel on foot. Both the police & Self-Defense forces were escorting the populace out of Osaka & guiding them south & east of the area, away from the spot most likely to be attacked, according to the specialists. It wasn't too difficult of a task: the people were making good time in evacuating Osaka in a hurry without too much direction. The police & SDF members simply needed to show the people the general direction in which they were instructed to go, & it was a done deal.

Panicked & scared citizens were quickly being replaced by military personnel & attack vehicles for both ground & air assaults on the oncoming target. A swarm of AH-64 Apache & Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters buzzed around Osaka Bay, while Type 90 & 89 tanks, Type 87 anti-aircraft guns & M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems scattered all over the ground, each of them aimed in the direction of the bay.

The Osaka area, from the bay to Hirano Ward, has been evacuated. Areas in between from a vertical horizon were equally deserted, leaving a normally bustling city empty & devoid of life.

Everyone was on a watch-&-wait basis.

No one had to wait long.

From 1000 meters out in the waters of Osaka Bay, a large dinosaurian head with sharp teeth in its long jaws & a pair of menacing reptilian eyes busted forth from beneath the waves. It rose up to its waist, revealing powerful arms & four-fingered hands, each ending in a sharp claw. Upon the monster's back were a row of pointed purple dorsal plates, the largest ones being in the middle. It highly resembled that of a Tyrannosaurus with a very dark shade of green or a charcoal gray, but was _much _bigger than its long-extinct relative from the Cretaceous Period from the Mesozoic.

And it had a name, one the Japanese & the entire world knew all too well.

It was Godzilla, King of the Monsters.

On his first appearance, the choppers got their orders to commence with the assault. Like a swarm of angry bees or wasps, the Cobras & Apaches swooped in & launched a barrage of rockets from their ports that streaked towards Godzilla. The rockets hit the Monster King dead-on, creating powerful explosions on the beast's hide. Thick plumes of smoke covered Godzilla from sight as the choppers resumed their rocket attack. From the cloud that covered the creature, Godzilla's dorsal spines lit up as he shot forth his orange-white heat ray from his mouth. The beam smashed through the smoke & struck the swarm of buzzing choppers, blasting many into fireballs before they plummeted into the waters of Osaka Bay. Godzilla roared in triumph as his progress towards the city continued, the surviving copters in full retreat.

Up in the sky, roars of engines caught the monster's attention as he looked up to see a squadron of Mitsubishi F-15 Eagle fighter jets. These birds unleash a volley of AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles at the approaching terror & strike with deadly accuracy. Explosions travel across Godzilla's body, but their effect was the same as the choppers: not one was able to permanently halt or even slow down the monster's advance to the city.

Godzilla's attack on the jets was _also _the same as the failed whirlybirds: his heat ray made short work of most of the F-15s, blasting them out of the air in fiery holocausts with no survivors. Those that weren't destroyed retreated from the area, not wanting to share their comrade's fate.

On the Nankogai Port, the first wave of tanks & M270s were placed & poised for an attack. Upon their orders from the Sergeant, the M270s fired their rockets that streaked up, across & down upon Godzilla as he made his way in their direction. The explosions were massive, & the shockwave was felt by the soldiers even from a distance. All the tanks joined in once the monster was within sight of their barrels, & loud booms erupted as shells struck Godzilla's scaly hide. The blasts caused him to grunt in displeasure, but no forthcoming damage was conflicted. The rockets & shells continued to rain down upon the creature, but Godzilla's advance was neither stopped nor slowed. His dorsal spines lit up before he unleashes his powerful heat ray, striking the tank & M270 battalion & blasting them to pieces as metal & man get blown away, along with surrounding cars that fly everywhere before crashing down onto the pavement, splashed into the water & smashed into the sides of buildings. Anyone in those vehicles would've died in them with no chance to scream.

Godzilla allows himself a roar that can be heard for many city blocks.

From their command post over at Nagai Park within the stadium, Commander Tanaka, Sergeant Honda & their troops surveys the scene on a monitor, bowing their heads briefly to salute their fallen comrades at the failed attacks.

"Our first & second lines of defense – gone. Just like that", Tanaka said solemnly, breaking the silence after a minute. He was all business when he spoke again. "Godzilla is still heading towards this area. How are the evacuating procedures going, Sergeant?"

"They're going exactly as planned, Commander", Honda said with a salute. "A wide portion of Osaka from the Ikuno Ward to Matsubara is now an open area devoid of citizens. Should Godzilla go beyond these points, the people will be taken further away with ease from the danger."

Commander Tanaka nods.

"Good. What about Godzilla? How soon will he reach here?"

"Once he makes it to shore, he should get to where we are in about an hour's time, providing he doesn't stray from this course", Honda said.

"Very well. Tell whatever helicopter pilots & F-15s are left to keep an eye on Godzilla, but not to fire upon him unless he goes where we don't want him to be. After that, inform the drivers in the Immobilizer units to get ready, & have them open fire on Godzilla as soon as they get the chance. Above all else, don't let him get off this course – have him come _directly _to us."

"Yes sir!"

Sergeant Honda gets on his radio & relays his superior's orders to everyone from the fighter & chopper pilots to those in the Immobilizer units. Fifteen minutes later, the two Immobilizer units make their way across city streets & rest in the stadium's parking lot. The two Immobilizers were the size of a standard Maser Unit, & were equipped with three pairs of large wheels that resembled truck tires. Their main turrets were also similar, but much different in performance. Rather than firing a beam of electric voltage, the Immobilizers had been designed & created to actually _freeze _targets & keep them immobile, hence their name. They field-tested them on regular Type 74 & 75 tanks, & they froze with one shot, keeping the vehicles _and _their drivers steady but alive.

Now it was going to be found out if they can perform their magic on Godzilla with equal success.

Raising their turrets, the Immobilizers aim at Godzilla's alleged place of arrival.

Stomping his way through the city streets, Godzilla leaves large potholes with every thunderous step that he takes, sending concrete, dirt & even cars off the ground & crashing back down. His long & powerful tail swishes back & forth, causing massive damage to buildings on both sides of the streets he strolls by on, raining debris onto streets long deserted. Terrified Japanese citizens can only watch in despair as Godzilla destroys what was once their homes & businesses as his rampage continues on through the Suminoe & Sumiyoshi Wards, bringing great ruins to areas like Shinkitajima, Sentai, Minamisumiyoshi, & Nagainishi. His roar echoed the areas, & even those as far away as in the Yamatogawa district could hear his blaring noise.

Finally, he reaches Nagai Park in just two minutes over an hour like Sergeant Honda predicted.

Smashing through the buildings at the far end of the battlefield, Godzilla is briefly obscured by a cloud of dust as debris gets scattered all over. The cloud of dust & smoke blows away as Godzilla appears in full view with a roar, giving Sergeant Honda his cue.

"Godzilla is now in sight! Immobilizer Units, commence firing!", he orders on his radio.

"Roger! Commencing firing!", both drivers reply back.

Throwing a switch on their consoles, the turrets on the units light up like fluorescent light bulbs as the radar dishes at the end glow with baby blue light before an energy beam of that same color shoots forth, making a beeline for Godzilla. Upon contact, the Monster King is bathed in baby blue light from head to toe to tail. Every square inch of him was covered with the energy, & his muscles actually start to feel tight & heavy as if he was wading through the thickest molasses as his movement slows indefinitely. Godzilla tried fighting off the effects, but the more he does, the stiffer he becomes.

He couldn't fire his ray, as his throat & stomach felt like he was taking on ice; he couldn't even roar.

Before long, the Monster King became completely immobile.

Godzilla is actually _frozen alive!_

Seeing the action on the monitors & pleased with the results, Sergeant Honda was about to order the vehicles to continue firing their beams when a sudden bright flash of white light appears where Godzilla stood frozen & expands, covering the behemoth & causing everyone to shield their eyes. Almost as abruptly as the bright flash appeared, it was gone. After everyone's eyes re-adjusted, they realize a sight too good to be true.

When the bright flash vanished, so did Godzilla himself – disappeared, as if he had never been standing there to begin with.

It took a full two-&-a-half minutes for Tanaka, Honda, the rest of the Japanese SDF, & the populace watching live & on television screens throughout the city & country to comprehend what just happened.

"Godzilla is gone", a soldier said, breaking the intense silence as his voice rises. "Godzilla's finally _gone!_"

The soldiers throw up their fists in triumph & cheer at the top of their lungs, shaking hands with & hugging one another. Citizens of Osaka & all of Japan join in on the celebration, & follow suit as the JSDF, cheering & praising in knowing that Godzilla, the dinosaurian menace once thought by all to be indestructible, was no more.

Commander Tanaka walked quietly away from the celebrating soldiers when Sergeant Honda approached him, his mood just as jubilant as his fellow soldiers.

"Congratulations, Commander!", he says with a grin. "Your Immobilizer Units have done the impossible – they got rid of & possibly _killed _Godzilla! Just when we beginning to think it could _never _happen, we finally succeeded in our goal! Thanks to you, the world will never have to fear that monster again! Congratulations again! You shall go down in history for this!"

Tanaka's face was unreadable, but not hard.

"Thank you, Sergeant", he says in an expressionless tone. "Unfortunately, I cannot accept your praise because, simply put…Godzilla _isn't _dead."

Honda's jubilant mood was dampened by this, & his grin vanished.

"What?", he says, astonished. "But Commander, you _saw _what happened just now! Godzilla had…"

"The Immobilizer Units I designed & had built were _never _meant to kill Godzilla, much less make him vanish like that, Sergeant", Tanaka explained. "In one way or another, he's still alive somewhere."

As much as Honda wanted the mood of victory to last, he knew that his commanding officer was right: he went over the designs with him, & knew everything the Immobilizers were & weren't capable of. Seeing the Monster King disappear from out of the blue like that & the men cheer in triumph made Honda forget that fact, albeit temporarily.

With that, the harsh reality of it made Honda come back to his senses & he nods.

"Since that really _is _the case, then why _did _Godzilla vanish into thin air like that? What _really _happened to him?", he wondered.

Tanaka stared at the cheering soldiers, unaware of the truth.

_What, indeed_, he thought. _Where _did _Godzilla disappear to?_

It was a question that probably nobody in Japan, let alone in the world, could answer.

**CHAPTER II**

_Eternia, the Dark Hemisphere, three days later:_

After arriving on this strange new world, Godzilla wandered off to explore his new surroundings. His tour so far has consisted of nothing but dark purple sky in the daytime & even gloomier nights, with landscape that's mostly rocky terrain with rivers of lava that flow as smoothly as water itself. Godzilla occasionally had stepped in puddles of lava on his path, the ground being unstable at times.

Scorching his flesh some, the lava still did no permanent damage.

But this new place was completely different from what Godzilla was used to seeing: he could see no large cities with tall buildings standing in his path, no vehicles from land _or _air to swoop down & attack when he usually makes an appearance in the human's domains. All he _can _see in the sky are miniature creatures with wings that screech like birds or bats, but being bigger than those he'd seen back home. He's also witnessed large four-legged, winged beasts with sharp beaks & twin pairs of eyes, their bodies covered in brown fur. Large as these were, none of them dared to get close to Godzilla, knowing they were outmatched by him in every way.

Same went with the smaller winged creatures: none of them bothered Godzilla, so the Monster King lets _them_ be in peace in return.

He only wished that _all _creatures he encounters, big & small, would have that sense & leave well enough alone.

But Godzilla knows better: even in this new world he's been dropped off onto, he can still sense danger lurking nearby, someone or something waiting for the chance to pounce upon his person & give him the fight of his life.

Whether it be humans or some creature lying in wait to ambush him, Godzilla couldn't guess.

He _does _know that danger lurks nearby, & his senses are all on full alert.

From two hundred yards away behind a large outcropping of rocks 120 feet high, a trio of muscular humanoid giants peek over the top & watch as Godzilla stumbles across the landscape, his footsteps making thunderous sounds & shakes that were felt even by them. Each giant had a different shade of flesh: the first was purple-skinned, the second was green-skinned, & the final one was red-skinned. These giants had once terrorized the village of Veridas, where the Crystal of Prasinus kept its fruits ripe all year round, including Honeyberries (a favorite of Queen Andreeno of her home city in the Mystic Mountains). They were once included in Skeletor's newly-formed Council of Evil after his original warriors were intentionally captured in a scheme to lower the Masters' defenses & take Grayskull in the warrior's weakened state.

They were Azdar, Belzar & Chadzar.

And they currently have their sights set on Godzilla.

Big grins were adorned on their faces.

"Well, well, well – and _what _do we have _here?_", Azdar wondered with a tease.

"Some poor beast has lost its way, it seems!", said Belzar.

"How unfortunate – for _him_, anyway!", Chadzar said with a chuckle. "You guys know what _that _means!"

"Yeah – fresh meat!", said Azdar. "He'll make a _fine _feast for us when we pick his skeleton clean, & then use his own bones for weaponry & trophies!"

"Let's go & _get_ him! All that food ain't gonna eat itself!", Chadzar said as his companions nodded.

Climbing up & over the outcropping, the trio of giants slide down the rocky surface & land with ease. There, with weapons in hand, they started strolling towards Godzilla at a leisurely pace like they were out for a late afternoon stroll. They march in perfect parallel unison, their own feet making thunderous sounds with each step. An unaware Godzilla kept on strolling until he heard footsteps other than his own, turning to see three giants armed with large silver hammers, each one in a different skin tone. The Monster King stops in his tracks to observe these giants from out of curiosity, being the first set of life that came close to his size & height. When Azdar & his group get within 100 feet from Godzilla, the saurian can see that they measure well over 60 feet tall. Even though he dwarfs them all with his immense size, Godzilla can predict these three are fierce in nature as well as in appearance.

He can expect the worst to come from them.

He lets out a low growl & scowls his eyes in an attempt to frighten them away.

Neither Azdar, Belzar _or _Chadzar were intimidated.

In fact, it only made their challenge more so.

Their grins of anticipation grew wider.

"My, but you're a _big _one!", said Belzar. "_I'm _guessing that you'll supply us with fresh meat for a couple of _months_, at the least!"

"Come on, boys!", said Azdar, raising his hammer. "It's been known to first _tenderize _your food before you eat it!"

Following suit, Belzar & Chadzar raise their own hammers as the former yelled 'attack!', thus getting the battle for supremacy underway.

Unlike before, the giants charged Godzilla & let out a battle cry.

The Monster King lights up his rear dorsal spines & inside of his mouth before letting loose with his heat ray which travels across the terrain, blasting up rocks & steam. Belzar & Chadzar split in opposite directions to avoid the blast, but Azdar jumps up & over the projectile, briefly going airborne. The purple-skinned giant soared right on past Godzilla's head, giving him a knock on the side with his hammer before landing behind the saurian on both feet. The blow made Godzilla's vision going white temporarily, clearing it with a shake of his head. When he came to, he saw his three adversaries in front of & to the sides, each with his hammer raised & poised for another strike.

The giants laugh tauntingly at him in unison.

"Three against one, monster!", Chadzar scoffs. "I'd say the odds aren't _looking _so good for _you!_"

"But then, they never do against _anyone _unfortunate enough to encounter _us!_", Belzar added. "Heck, we even knocked the stuffing out of _He-Man_, of all people!"

"But hey – don't be shy! _Show _us what you got!", Azdar teased.

Godzilla bellowed a roar that echoed for miles around in answer to his tormentor's challenge.

"Ooooohhhh, scary!", Chadzar mocked, running after his prey. He gets within range of Godzilla & swings his hammer when the saurian grabs it by the mass with his right hand & takes it out of Chadzar's hands, sending it into the air like a missile. It was gone from sight in seconds.

Chadzar didn't let the absence of his weapon deter him: he grabbed Godzilla's right arm & attempted to break it as Belzar rushed to assist his comrade with his own hammer. The Monster King saw him coming quickly from out of the corner of his eye, & when Belzar was in reach, Godzilla swung Chadzar around & body-slammed both giants with such force that the ground shook. When Godzilla turned to face Azdar, he was struck by a powerful uppercut from the purple-skinned giant that rattled his teeth, & a stream of blood flew from his mouth. The saurian took several steps back & grunted in surprise & rage. Azdar struck him again in the side & stomach, making Godzilla grunt louder as he snarls & bares his teeth. Before Azdar can swing his hammer again, Godzilla gives the giant a hard left foot to his solar plexus, sliding Azdar across with a grunt of his own. Regaining his senses, he rises almost immediately & runs after his quarry with his weapon swung back. When he gets close enough, Azdar swings his hammer forward to knock his prey senseless.

Unfortunately, Godzilla was ready: lighting up his dorsal spines, he fires his orange-white heat ray at Azdar's weapon in a stream of radioactive heat. When the heat stream ceases, all that remained of the purple-skinned giant's hammer was the handle which smoked where the mass once was.

Azdar's eyes widened in surprise, finding what was left of his cherished weapon.

Godzilla lashed his tail around to slap his attacker, but Azdar caught on & dived to avoid. The appendage only caused a crevice, shooting rocks up into the air. Seizing an opportunity, Azdar grabbed Godzilla's tail & pulled. When Belzar & Chadzar regain consciousness, they quickly catch on & join Azdar, pulling with all their might. Even though Godzilla dwarfed them each in size, the three Eternian giants show impressive strength on the great saurian as they actually _drag _the Monster King backwards, a move which surprises him. Godzilla attempts to pull forward against his attackers, but Azdar & company have a strong hold on him.

The giants laugh in mock & triumph.

"Give it up, monster!", said Belzar. "We're taking you back to our lair for a _feast!_"

"And _you're _the guest of honor who'll be attending!", Chadzar added in.

"And attend you _will_, even if we have to drag your carcass all across Eternia!", Azdar put in as he & his team laughed again. The giants made three mistakes: first, you don't make Godzilla go anywhere against his will. Second, when you fight the Monster King, you better be sure to put him down & be certain he _stays _that way.

Third, nothing & nobody _eats_ Godzilla, & he's about to make _that _little-known fact perfectly clear.

Summoning the strength in his tail, Godzilla lifts it – _and _the trio of giants – into the air & cracks it like a large whip. This abrupt move causes Azdar & company to release their grip on the Monster King & go flying before they each land hard, shaking the ground & leaving craters. Godzilla retaliates by turning around & lighting up his dorsal spines before unleashing his heat ray at the nearest giant – Belzar – and roast him alive.

But the giants are quick on their feet, if not resilient. Belzar gets up almost immediately & charges Godzilla at full speed. The saurian re-aims his ray at his oncoming enemy, but the green-skinned giant dodges it every step of the way, the only giant who still has his weapon. Making a mighty leap, he soars through the air like a talented acrobat & uses his hammer to knock Godzilla in the side of his head, ceasing the flow of his ray. Landing on his back behind his head, Belzar places his hammer on his belt & grabs Godzilla's jaws, binding them together with his arms as he hangs on for dear life while the Monster King struggles.

"_Now_, you guys!", Belzar cried. "Hit him while I got his death breath under wraps!"

Azdar & Chadzar were way ahead of him: even as Belzar grabbed Godzilla by his mouth, the other two giants were already rushing the saurian at top speed with their fists placed out in front of him. Before Godzilla could react, he was rammed by the two giants' momentum & knocked over backwards, landing on his side. As he struggled like a cornered & captured gorilla, Belzar kept his jaws clamped shut while Azdar & Chadzar pounded Godzilla with their bare fists, pummeling him fiercely until he gave into his pain & slip into unconsciousness, or if they killed him.

No way was Godzilla allowing for _either _to happen!

"Not so _tough _without your fire breath to hide behind, _are _you, monster…eh?", Belzar started taunting when he saw Godzilla's dorsal plates & mouth light up. The intense heat from the latter began searing the flesh from his arms, & Belzar yelled out in pain as he releases his hold on the monster's mouth, his arms smoking. Like a striking snake, Godzilla grabbed Belzar with his right hand & threw him straight into Chadzar, knocking them both for a loop. With two down, the saurian can concentrate on the remaining giant: his mouth & dorsal spines still lit, Godzilla launches his ray at Azdar & strikes him square in the chest. The purple-skinned giant cried out in pain as the beam pushed him into another rock outcropping & smashes into it with such force that it left an impression in the stone. His bare chest smoking, Azdar stumbled about for a few steps before collapsing on his face with a loud thud.

"Azdar?!", Belzar & Chadzar call out as Godzilla gets behind the other two giants. When they turn around, they see Godzilla do a full 360 degree turn & smack the two giants in the chest with his tail, the powerful hit sending them both sailing through the air & land in a tumble to where Azdar lays. Gasping for breath, Belzar & Chadzar struggle to get up on their feet again. When they're able to stand steady, they see Godzilla's spines & mouth lit up, all ready to deploy his most potent weapon in case there was more fight in his trio of attackers.

Their choices were very simple: either give up & retreat to enable them to live to hunt again, or face Godzilla's wrath further & possible annihilation.

"Uh…maybe we'd better look for easier prey someplace else?", Belzar asked, turning to his companion.

Chadzar nodded in full agreement.

Each grabbing a still-out-of-it Azdar by the arms, the trio of giants turn & march away from Godzilla, going as fast as their legs enable while dragging their purple-skinned comrade across the rugged terrain.

Watching them go in retreat, Godzilla let out a roar that was heard everywhere in the vicinity.

Unbeknownst to the Monster King, he was being observed from a distance by a lone figure – a man – dressed in battle armor on his chest, waist, boots & forearms. His hair was long & black, with a streak of gray. A crimson cape hung from his shoulders, & his eyes were devoid of irises, being permeated with red orbs of energy. A neatly-trimmed goatee surrounds his mouth, & hung around his neck was an oval object with a magenta crystal in the middle.

It was _this _crystal which enabled this man to hover in the air like a helium balloon on a string, being encased in a circle of magenta energy.

Years ago, long before Keldor & his evil warriors attacked the Hall of Wisdom, this magician – a man of great malevolence – became one of Eternia's biggest threats before being banished by the Council of Elders, forced into exile in the Dark Hemisphere in an old man's body until he tricked the warrior known as Mekaneck into retrieving his amulet from the Sands of Fire, thus setting him free once more.

He is known as Count Marzo.

And he's been watching Godzilla in battle with great curiosity & admiration.

A grin of approval came across his face.

"A _magnificent_ beast!", Marzo praised to himself, speaking in an Eastern European accent. "Just _look _at how it inflicts its animalistic fury upon those three interlopers who thought they could make it their dinner! Even when they had it on the ropes, the creature fought back with such _viciousness _that puts even the fearless serpintaurs to shame, & spits powerful fire like the dragons! Those three were _fools:_ one does not try & _kill _a creature of such power, but instead attempt to _harness _it! That beast is _everything _one could hope for to have by his side in battle! And soon, it will belong to only _me!_"

Just _like _a helium balloon, Count Marzo floats over to Godzilla with ease. The Monster King catches sight of Marzo's approach but does not fire his ray or rush to attack. He seemed…_intrigued _by seeing something like a human floating in the air without the aid of a machine like he's accustomed to in the land he knows. The floating human was encased in a glowing magenta ball of energy powered by a glowing amulet around his neck. Count Marzo stops when he gets to thirty feet of Godzilla, who still doesn't know what to make of this new arrival.

He tilts his head to one side as Marzo spoke.

"Greetings, monster! I don't believe I've ever seen the likes of _you _in all of Eternia! But after witnessing your savagery against those three imbeciles, I knew you were quite unique! You have a power that seems to be unmatched by anything currently existing on this planet! How fortunate for me to have found you before the likes of Skeletor or even the Snake Men had the chance! And now that I _have_, you will live forever more…as my _slave!_"

Godzilla couldn't hear what Count Marzo was saying, but he _could _sense the man's intentions by the tone of his voice, which had a high level of malevolence even more than that of the trio of giants or the one with the skull-face devoid of flesh. His instincts told him that this human was trouble, & he prepared to strike.

Unfortunately for Godzilla, Count Marzo struck first.

A beam of magenta energy shot forth from Marzo's orb & buffeted Godzilla in the chest with such powerful force that the Monster King was actually knocked backwards to a distance of 100 yards, crashing to the ground in a hard thud that kicked up rocks & sprayed them everywhere. Godzilla was _never _hit that hard before in his life from something as small as a human, aside from that of the skull-faced one & his female companion days before. He fights to get up, but Marzo struck again with another blast that drags him across the ground, creating a crevice with his body as the Count follows him in his sphere. Only when Godzilla gets backed against the side of a volcano does he stop as Count Marzo's power held him firm. The evil wizard laughs maniacally.

"Foolish creature!", Marzo bellowed. "You do not _know _who it is you are dealing with! I am _Count Marzo_ – the most _powerful _magician in _all _of Eternia! And whatever Count Marzo _wants_, Count Marzo _gets! _Now…you _submit _yourself to me immediately, & I shall _spare _you the horrible anguish when I make you mine! _Submit _to me! _Do it!_"

Ignoring the great pain Marzo's beam is causing him, Godzilla lashes out with his tail & strikes the magician's glowing ball, breaking his concentration of the beam & enabling him to get back onto his feet. The Monster King is a servant & slave to _nothing_, human or otherwise, & he intends to make that notion clear to Marzo like he did with the enemies he'd faced before on this new world he'd been placed on.

Lighting his dorsal plates, Godzilla fires his heat ray at Count Marzo's sphere, striking him dead-on. The evil mage puts everything he has into keeping it up, lest he gets roasted alive by Godzilla's primary weapon. He foolishly underestimated the creature's strength & stamina, & while the magic he possesses _hurts _Godzilla, it wasn't enough to _stop _him. Count Marzo & Godzilla put all their strength into their power as they come to a Mexican Standoff of sorts, with neither one gaining an advantage over the other.

Not yet, anyway.

They each knew that something had to give, & in thirty seconds, it finally does.

The opposing forces cave in & cause a massive explosion that knocks both combatants off their feet as Count Marzo hits bottom & Godzilla hits the volcano's side again. Only the power coursing through him had prevented the mage from being killed upon impact. The Monster King's second hit on the volcano, however, caused it to erupt as it literally blew its top & spurts lava in every direction. Some droplets struck Godzilla in the back, while others reached Count Marzo, who put up his energy sphere just in time. Godzilla took several steps away from the volcano to avoid the splashes of lava that spew from the mouth, heading right for Marzo. The evil mage got himself airborne as soon as the Monster King became too close for comfort, putting distance between them. Marzo shot forth another beam at Godzilla, but in a move that belies his immense size, he dodges it with ease, surprising Marzo. He shocks the mage again by leaping into the air & coming down upon him, sphere & all. They both crash to the ground & cause a crater as Marzo inflates his sphere, straining with his might to get Godzilla off.

He pushes the saurian back several meters before rising again as Godzilla slides across on his feet, kicking up dirt. From his sphere, Count Marzo unleashes a multitude of magenta tentacles that snake their way to Godzilla which ensnares the Monster King by his arms, legs, neck, body & tail. An extra one wraps itself around Godzilla's mouth to keep from firing his flame. Even snagged, Godzilla struggles to get free like a prisoner in a dungeon chained to the wall. Count Marzo floats in closer to his captured quarry.

"You _dare _to defy _me_, do you?!", he bellowed through clenched teeth. "Very well, monster – if you will not allow me to _control _you, then I shall _destroy _you!"

His tentacles unleash a powerful current of magical voltage that stung Godzilla from head to toe. The Monster King cried out in pain even with his mouth clamped shut, & his struggles to get loose were more frantic. Count Marzo smiled in glee to make his enemy suffer immensely before killing him, laughing maniacally.

The mage's joy & victory were short-lived: after a full minute of excruciating pain, Godzilla summoned every ounce of strength he could muster to break his bonds. His body glowed briefly before a surge of power exploded as the shockwave severed both the bonds & the connection of Marzo's amulet as the blast hit him full force & knocked him away, becoming totally unprepared for Godzilla's latest trick & taking him by surprise.

In his flight, Marzo's amulet comes flying off his neck as they both hit the ground.

Godzilla pauses to assess the situation. He notices the flying human was able to stay airborne because of the shiny object around his neck. Now that it's been removed from the wearer, he deduced his enemy in a weakened state & can no longer fight were he to be separated from it. With that coursing through his mind, Godzilla commences with a plan: raising his left foot, he brings it down hard that causes a stream of rocks & dirt to be shot skywards in a steady stream until it reaches & hits Marzo's amulet, sending it up into the air.

Hearing the oncoming stream of stone, Marzo grunts as he witnesses his main source of power being flung into the air.

"What?! _My amulet!_", he screeches, reaching out with his right hand as if he could grab or will it back to him.

When the amulet was high enough, Godzilla launched his heat ray at the object & struck it dead-on, sending it trailing across the sky like a miniature comet. The ray's momentum sent it far away & out of reach.

"_Nooooooooooo!_", Count Marzo cried, rising up & running after his prized possession. Several moments after his amulet was gone from sight, Count Marzo's entire body glowed white for a brief period before he began shrinking in size & stamina, transforming from a young muscular man to that of a frail old one. When the glow subsided, he was only half his original height with wrinkled skin & a dwarf-like face. His speed was reduced to less than half, & he paused just long enough to turn & face Godzilla with raised fists & a final insult to the beast.

"_Curse you, monster!_", he bellowed in a frail decrepit voice before resuming his pursuit of his amulet.

Godzilla watched the spectacle of seeing his enemy change from young & powerful to old & frail, his instincts serving him well as they usually do. He was fascinated: one minute he was battling a powerful foe, & the next he became such a pathetic form of life that the Monster King hardly found it worth the bother of going after & finishing him off.

His latest enemy vanquished, Godzilla unleashes his blaring roar.

Since arriving on Eternia, Godzilla has met & fought a skull-faced human, his female counterpart & their army of minions, three giants that wanted to literally have him for dinner, & now a magician whose greatest power – and Achilles Heel – rested within a simple tool. Take it away, & he becomes as docile as a human child.

It made the Monster King wonder what _else _he was going to run into on this unusual place.

Right now, he just wants to find a body of water – any kind – and submerge himself into it for some rest & do some exploring on his own terms.

Relying on his instincts again, Godzilla senses the closest water just south from his current position & starts in that direction.

After a few hours more of traveling on the rugged terrain that mostly is the Dark Hemisphere, Godzilla finally finds his first body of water – the Harmony Sea.

Letting out a roar of satisfaction, the Monster King enters the drink that has an alien yet comforting feeling to it as he gets to his waist before submerging underneath fully. The scent of the water was different yet similar to what he was used to back home as he swam through with ease like a fish.

Immediately, Godzilla searched for a place for some sleep.

**CHAPTER III**

_The Royal Palace, the Light Hemisphere, another three days later:_

Just a few clouds occupy an otherwise perfect day as the Palace of Eternia glitters & shines from the sun's golden rays as it brightens the area around it. Rebuilt to its former glory four months after the monstrous snake god Serpos attacked it, the Palace stood stronger than ever in both materials & those who run it, becoming more lively in the interior as it is for the exterior.

Such is the case today, especially within the Royal Throne Room where King Randor & Queen Marlena tend to their numerous guests, thanking everyone who attended for doing so. The list of people goes from Man-At-Arms & all the brave Masters who fight to defend Eternia from the forces of evil to those whose villages & domains Randor has visited in times of need: Lord Dactys of the Spelean race, bat-like people from Subternia; King Ceratus, leader of the lizard-like Caligar warriors, also from Subternia; Chief Carnivus, one of Randor's most trusted friends & ruler of the Qadians, a race of cat-like people from the village of Felis Qadi; Elder Kulatak, ruler of the Kulataks who were a band of white-furred humanoid creatures that reside in the Ice Mountains, & were responsible for supplying the Masters with Eternium, the hardest known substance on the planet.

Of course there was also Stratos of Avion & Buzz-Off of Andreenid, both realms that reside within the Mystic Mountains. Stratos is of a race of bird-like people, with Buzz-Off as the highly regarded captain of the defense force of his bee-like people who once came close to waging war with one another that was goaded by Skeletor in order for him to get ahold of the Andreenid's ambrosia, their main source of food that helps growth of their strength & stamina, becoming permanent for them & temporary to others who consume it.

His plan would've succeeded had it not been for that little-known fact & He-Man's timely intervention.

While Buzz-Off has something of a temper even after joining Stratos' people with his own, the Andreenid still couldn't be happier for such a merging of two peoples or even be a member of the Masters.

They currently share stories of their races in a joyous manner.

Man-At-Arms surveyed the scene & found nothing short of a good, fun time for everyone. In their line of work, a week or even a day of relaxation & unwinding is a rare thing since the Mystic Wall that imprisoned Keldor's forces came down & evil spread like a cancer, so it became a treat & a blessing that this day was going well without a hitch.

So far, so good.

He sees the other Masters all enjoying themselves as much as Randor's VIPs: Ram Man, a burly but well-built warrior with literally the hardest head who can knock through stone with ease; Mekaneck, whose neck can reach to a length that has yet to be determined; Man-E-Faces, an actor with a trio of different faces consisting of a human, robot & monster face; Sy-Klone, a blue & yellow mystic guardian of the powerful Legacy Stones (now destroyed) & one-time defender of Anwat Gar, a realm that resembles Earth's Japanese-samurai temples; Fisto, Man-At-Arms' older brother who became estranged for being a deserter during the Great Unrest but redeemed himself saving his life as he punched through rocks with his enlarged right fist, damaging it & having it replaced with a metal one; Dekker, Man-At-Arms' & even King Randor's former teacher, who became the black man's favorite students of all.

Even Duncan's daughter Teela & Randor & Marlena's son Prince Adam were getting along nicely together, as usually they're on each other's case especially when Teela scorns Adam for running away from danger. But at this moment, they were enjoying various dishes of scrumptious foods laid out for the guests & chatting friendly like they were brother & sister.

In some ways, Teela & Adam _are_.

And best of all, to Duncan's surprise (& relief), Adam's green tiger with yellow stripes Cringer & the Trollan wizard Orko were being on their best behavior with no shenanigans. Aside from the Cosmic Enforcer Zodak, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull & Duncan himself, Cringer & Orko were the only ones who were privy of Prince Adam's well-protected secret of his ability to become He-Man, stumbling upon it as they followed the young prince to Grayskull shortly after Skeletor's forces re-emerged on the prince's 16th birthday celebration. Man-At-Arms often wondered if such knowledge should be in the minds of two individuals as mischievous, inept & child-mannered as Cringer & Orko, but to his surprise they've come through in various ways, such as when they helped rescue Prince Adam when he was captured & brought to Snake Mountain in order to lure He-Man, along with many other attempts at helping to foil the plans of Skeletor, King Hssss, & so forth.

Plus, Cringer has a secret of his own to keep: when He-Man points his sword at him, he becomes twice or three times his original size & more powerful, growing a pair of deadly fangs like a saber-toothed tiger, garnering the name Battle Cat. Whether he be Cringer _or _Battle Cat, Adam's 'fearless friend' has proved his worth to the Masters in their fight against evil on Eternia.

It was something even Duncan couldn't deny.

_Maybe it _is _a good thing for a few others to be let in on Adam's secret after all_, Man-At-Arms though, his mind reflecting on the matter.

In the midst of the festivities, King Randor taps on a glass to get everyone's attention, & the room quiets down.

"Ladies & gentlemen, your attention, if you please", he announced as all eyes gaze upon him with Marlena by his side. "First, I want to thank each & every one of you for attending this most joyous occasion this side of Eternia. As I have stated to you weeks before in advance, this day marks the anniversary of when my beloved Queen Marlena & I have tied the knot in holy matrimony, shortly after her arrival here on our world from her own home planet. She felt herself to be nothing short of a stranger on Eternia & easily could've left us once we repaired her ship, until…"

"Until I fell in _love _with Eternia's King, & did not _want _to leave", Marlena stepped in, showing off her wedding ring to all. A round of applause & cheer went up before Marlena went on. "And to _this _very day, I am forever _glad _I did not. Because had I left Eternia, I probably would not have found a better man than King Randor to have as my husband, with whom I've stood by through thick & thin, much less given birth to my adoring son – Prince Adam."

Another round of applause goes up as Adam gives a wave of approval to all, if not being a little embarrassed.

Teela could sense it & she smirks, never one to pass up on teasing the King & Queen's only son.

_Still the same bashful Prince as always!_, she joked to herself.

King Randor took the stage again.

"And what a wife & son I am all but _blessed _to have", he says. "Every day I see either or both in my presence, it makes me feel proud to have such a family who shares my bloodline. And for all these…"

Randor took a moment as he gets a sudden lapse, with everyone staring at him strangely, including Marlena.

Feeling embarrassed himself, he turns to his wife, his hand on the side of his face.

"Help me out here a little, Marlena", he whispered low. "Just how many years _has _it been since we've been married?"

At first, Randor thought that Marlena would scold him for not remembering the number of years they've spent as husband & wife. But then she does something even he would never expect her to do.

She laughs boisterously until her stomach hurts.

This was followed by everyone else, from Carnivus to Prince Adam himself.

"I guess my father's age really _is _showing!", Adam whispered to Teela.

"No more than _my _father!", Teela whispered back, both snickering & fighting back another burst of laughter.

Even Man-At-Arms joined in: it's been quite a time when he was able to cut loose & enjoy himself, having been in countless conflicts from Keldor's attack at the Hall of Wisdom to the return of King Hssss & his vile band of Snake Men. It was good to relax & unwind with his King & best friend, with whom he fought alongside for so many years.

Although flushed with embarrassment, King Randor was in good spirits & is also able to laugh at himself, so he as well joins in the cheerful mood & laughs for all it's worth. Once it fades away, Randor continues his speech.

"I, uh, _must _apologize for the sudden lapse of memory. I guess it _has _been that many years for my senses to get so dull", he says with a chuckle, followed by brief laughs from the rest. When Randor speaks again, it was of a much stronger confidence. "But rest assured, my memory _isn't_ so far gone that I've forgotten about all the hardships which I've put myself through to help make Eternia a better place to live for all decent folks who've made this world their home. Even _before _marrying the love of my life, I have given my all to fight the forces of evil, from Keldor's attack on the now-extinct Hall of Wisdom & his return as Skeletor to the malevolence of the dreaded King Hssss & his cold-blooded army of Snake Men. Along the way, I have helped to bring together races of people who have once been at odds with each other, until careful negotiations on mine & Marlena's part have bonded their strengths & assisted in thwarting the evils that dare to threaten our way of life. Races such as the Andreenids & Avionians, the Speleans & Caligars, for example: both have had difficult periods between their peoples in the past, but with a little cooperation & understanding, they've united & stood strong against threats that would no doubt have put the planet in grave danger were they to stand alone. Because of these proudly formed alliances, our forces are even stronger than they've ever been in all of the planet's history, & with this rejuvenated strength, the day when freedom reigns supreme all across the planet of Eternia shall be closer at hand much sooner than we know. As your King – and as your _friend_ – I vow to work harder than ever to make that dream of everlasting peace for all across Eternia a reality."

A chorus of applause erupted throughout the room, always being a pleasure to hear an inspirational speech from the one who helps to bring the planet's populations closer together. Even now, Lord Dactys & Ceratus shake hands proudly, with Stratos & Buzz-Off doing the same, punctuating Randor's successes.

"Go, dad!", Prince Adam says as Teela raises her hand for a high-five which they proudly share.

"He's _still _got it, doesn't he, Your Highness?", Dekker said, walking up to Adam & Teela with a drink in his hand. Even for a man his age, Dekker was a very fit black man with white hair & goatee that was braided on top & on the sides. An eye patch covered his left eye, with heavy scarring around it.

"I guess I should take back my remark about him being too far gone, huh?", Adam joked as Dekker laughed.

"Nonsense, son. Your old man _always _enjoyeda good joke, be it on himself or others", Dekker said, taking a sip from his cup. "I know I always say this, but it's worth repeating: your father & Duncan always _were _my favorite pupils. It's a status that still hasn't changed to this very day."

"No worries, Dekker", said Teela. "It's always good to _hear _you say it. Not to mention work alongside you & my father when Clawful's cousins attacked us on Orkas Island not too long ago. Dekker, we know you're long retired & all, but we still want to thank you for coming to the King & Queen's…"

"Not at all, Teela. For King Randor's wedding anniversary, Duncan & I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The trio smile big & clanged glasses in a toast before taking another sip when Randor makes a final statement.

"And now, ladies & gentlemen, with my lectures being over, please…everyone enjoy yourselves, & let's have some entertainment!"

"Leave that to _me_, Your Highness!", Man-E-Faces says, taking center stage.

"Ooh! Me too, King Randor!", Orko says, floating over to Man-E's side. "Have _I _got an entertaining show all planned out _just _for you & the Queen – one you're not likely going to forget, guaranteed!"

King Randor & Queen Marlena look at each other with skepticism, causing snickers from everyone.

"Just _try _not to get _egg _on their faces, Orko – unlike _last _time!", Man-E-Faces said, making all audibly chuckle.

"Relax, Man-E! I've been training on this for _weeks _in advance! You'll see!", Orko insisted, raising the laugh meter up a bar.

"You'll get your chance, Orko", Randor said. "But for now, let's let Man-E-Faces take center stage."

"Of course, Your Majesty! All yours, Man-E!", Orko said, floating away as Man-E-Faces bowed in gratitude.

Cheers begin as Man-E-Faces makes his announcement. Three-quarters into his production & near completion, a soldier walks up to Man-At-Arms, getting his attention by placing his hand upon his shoulder.

"Man-At-Arms, you need to come to the infirmary right away, sir", he said lowly.

"Can't it wait, son?", Duncan says, a little displeased. "I hate missing out on Man-E-Faces' performances. Why not ask me to come down when it's _Orko's _turn? This way I _don't_ wind up being the laughing stock of the party."

"I'm afraid it can't. The situation is more…serious than you think."

"How serious are we talking about?"

"Sir, I believe it's best if I just took you down & showed you."

Man-At-Arms looked the man over for any signs of a possible prank he might be playing, adding to the joy of Randor & Marlena's special day. But seeing only a solid face with no traces of humor, he can tell that the man was not doing anything of the kind.

Duncan let out a sigh & nodded.

"Very well then. Let's head to the infirmary", he said, & both men exited the throne room to their destination. When they arrived, they found a large silver, blue & red robot standing at the infirmary's entrance. It was a welcome sight to Man-At-Arms.

"Roboto. Nice of you to join us", he says.

"When we captured this intruder, I insisted in standing guard until you showed up, Man-At-Arms", Roboto said, his visor lighting up with each word.

"An intruder? I got pulled away from Man-E-Faces' show to look at some poor party-crasher that's probably a bit too drunk to know better? Why not just lock him up in one of the prison cells until the King can attend to him _after _he's done enjoying his special day?"

"Because…he was severely injured when he was found near the Palace entrance & collapsed. Plus, he asked specifically for _you_, Man-At-Arms, once he regained consciousness."

This took Duncan by surprise, but still took it in stride.

"Very well, Roboto. Let's go see who it is", he said & entered the infirmary, stopping just past the entrance.

When he saw who it was, he gasped & his eyes widened.

_The Harmony Sea shore, south of the Royal Palace:_

The being known as Evilseed stood on the riverbank, awaiting word from his twin spies. Evilseed is a tall &, as his name suggests, malicious being who is comprised of the surrounding green of the planet. He is lime-green in color from head to toe, with brown vine-like veins that appear in spots over his body. His toes & fingers are all clawed like deadly thorns, & his 'hair' was composed of vine-like strands that stick up on top of his head. His eyes glowed a deep red, & his mouth opens & closes in a manner that his skin stretches over it. Before Skeletor was freed from the Dark Hemisphere, Evilseed threatened Eternia until placed in a cavern known as the Root Cellar, becoming his prison.

He became free again by Orko, who was tricked into thinking he was the one called Moss Man, to help with his garden at the Palace. He later became a member of Skeletor's Council of Evil consisting of him, Count Marzo, Azdar, Belzar, Chadzar & Webstor. Only by the timely intervention of Moss Man, He-Man & the other Masters was Evilseed thwarted in getting the power of Grayskull, twice over.

Now he resurfaces with a new plot hatched out, one he will commence once his scouts return.

And return they do, in the guise of two mini plants that resemble Venus Flytraps on legs. Both critters chant & screech in a language only Evilseed would understand. When they finished, Evilseed seemed delighted & allowed himself a laugh of pure malice.

"Excellent, my two pets!", he says. "So the rumors are _true _– King Randor & his Queen _are _celebrating their royal anniversary on this day! How perfect: once I crash their little party, I'll kidnap the King & Queen & hold them for ransom! The price for their release? Only the power of Castle Grayskull! After I have it, _all _of Eternia shall fall to my knees as _I _become its _God!_"

Evilseed laughs maniacally again when a new voice interrupts him.

"Not if _I _have anything to say about it, Evilseed! And I _honestly_ don'tbelieve _your_ name was on the guest list of attendees either!"

"Who _dares_…?!", Evilseed bellowed angrily, looking around for the intruder. From three feet over to his right, a stream of green flora emerges from the sandy beach & reaches the same height as the wicked weed. It morphs into a well-built figure, looking somewhat like Evilseed himself but in a more natural green, like in the surrounding forest. His ears were pointed, & his iris-less eyes glowed a light green.

It was someone Evilseed knew all too well, & was none too pleased to see him.

"Moss Man!", he barked.

"The one & only!", Moss Man replied, expanding his right fist before hitting his evil counterpart with a hard right hook that sends him flying across the beach. When Evilseed's two pets spring forth to attack, Moss Man changes his right hand into a sword & slices both across the mouths with one swing, disintegrating them instantly.

"My babies!", Evilseed cried, rising to his feet. "You've interfered in my affairs for the _last time_, Moss Man!"

Placing his hands in front of him, Evilseed unleashed a horde of vines that snake their way to Moss Man. Like he did to his foe's pets, the defender of the green sliced these in half as Evilseed withdrew his vines & turned his own hands into swords. He then charges Moss Man with his weapons raised, with the heroic warrior doing the same. They clash with both combatants slicing & dicing, each one blocking the other's swings as their makeshift weapons clang like metal.

"You ought to get _used _to it by now, Evilseed!", Moss Man said, blocking two more blows. "As long as you dare to threaten the lush greenery of our precious forests or _anywhere _on Eternia, know that I'll _always _be a constant thorn in your side!"

"Then I guess it's past time I _really _nip you in the bud & turn you into _mulch!_", Evilseed snapped, jabbing with one sword & slicing with the other. Both were dodged & blocked by Moss Man.

"Yeah well…_good luck _with _that!_", Moss Man said, dodging another swing & throwing his left hand forward. His sword becomes a tangle of vines that lash out at Evilseed faster than he can attack, wrapping around his limbs as he gets backed into a tree. Evilseed tried to struggle free, but was unsuccessful: Moss Man's vines held him firm. The evil plant warrior used a different tactic by sprouting large thorns which pierced through his enemy's defenses that caused Moss Man to cry out in pain & withdraw his attack. As he reforms his hand, Evilseed called forth an armada of vines from the sand & have them wrap up his foe, starting with his legs. His enemy caught & immobile, Evilseed raced towards Moss Man & morphs his right hand into a double-bladed axe, intent on chopping his head off with one swipe.

Moss Man had no intention of _letting _him: his own body sprouting large thorns, he breaks free & dissolves his bonds, morphing his own right into a double-bladed axe & his left into a shield just as Evilseed swung his weapon & missing his head by a fraction of an inch.

"You think you can _stop _me, Moss Man?!", Evilseed barked, swinging his axe & striking Moss Man's shield.

"I don't _think _I can, Evilseed – I _know _I can!", Moss Man replied. "You're going right back to the Root Cellar, where _all_ bad weeds belong!"

"Over my fertilized _corpse_, you will!"

"That can be _arranged _for you – _if_ you force my hand!"

Moss Man's hands morph again into snake-like vines, but this time he grabs hold of Evilseed & doesn't let go. His evil twin retaliates by doing the same, & both plant warriors engage in a brutal test of strength, locking eyes with one another & pushing their muscles to the limit.

"Surrender, Moss Man! I promise I'll make your death a quick & painless one if you do!", Evilseed taunts.

"Sorry – not interested!", Moss Man replied with malice.

"Your funeral, fool!"

A low rumbling in the Harmony Sea that rose in pitch caused Evilseed & Moss Man to turn in its direction to find a large rise of water like a bubble in a bathtub ready to explode, heading straight for them. The two combatants release their hold on each other & brace for impact when the water bursts forth, covering the beach, a good portion of the immediate forest & the two plant warriors in seawater before disappearing as suddenly as it occurred.

What was left in its wake made even Evilseed's dark heart race with fear: he & Moss Man were staring right up at an enormous dinosaur creature with pointed purple dorsal spines on its back & a long powerful tail.

Unknown to both, Evilseed & Moss Man were staring up at Godzilla, who has just emerged from the Harmony Sea after some rest & exploring its bottom. Now he wishes to do so on the surface of the Light Hemisphere & see what else he can discover on his journey, becoming totally oblivious to both plant warriors. Raising his left foot, the Monster King sets it down on the sandy beach where Evilseed & Moss Man stood, who dive for cover & barely miss getting trampled by the large reptilian foot. The step shook the ground as Godzilla walked idly by.

"Where on Eternia did _that _thing come from?!", Moss Man wondered, getting to his feet.

"No doubt one of _Beast Man's!_", Evilseed snapped, doing the same. "But what_ever _the case may be, it nearly _killed _me, & I'm going to make it _pay!_"

"Evilseed, _no!_"

Moss Man's warning came too late: Evilseed launched a volley of large pointed thorns from the ground, firing them like missiles at Godzilla. The projectiles struck the Monster King at the back of his neck, piercing his flesh & making him grunt. None of them even started to slow Godzilla down.

But they _did _get his attention!

In a move that belied his great size, Godzilla turned his head towards the plant warriors as his dorsal spines & mouth began lighting up, his gaze at both Evilseed & Moss Man with the intention of roasting them to burnt cinders.

"Uh…I don't think that _was_ rather smart after all!", Evilseed said in an almost childish manner, taking steps away from the great behemoth.

"You _think?! _Now shut up & _run_, you fool!", Moss Man spat, giving them both the incentive to turn tail & run with all their might. Godzilla launches his heat ray at the fleeing warriors, blasting away grains of sand & them, going in opposite directions: Evilseed gets blown out towards the Harmony Sea, screaming all the way until he splashes into the drink & sinks below the waves, his eyes closed & limbs flailing as he sinks like a stone. Moss Man got blown inwards, deeper into the forest where he crashes into the trees before landing hard on his back with a thud. Trying to rise, his pain was too great &, managing only a grunt, Moss Man lay back down & closes his eyes, his consciousness leaving him.

Rid of two bothersome & pathetic pests, Godzilla lets out a small grunt before resuming his trek on the Light Hemisphere of Eternian soil.

Instinctively, he heads north.

_The Infirmary of the Royal Palace:_

Man-At-Arms could not believe who it was in one of the infirmary's beds.

The 'intruder' which Roboto spoke of was a full-grown male & had legs & feet which were either covered in body armor or bionic, with his left hand containing the same mystery. His upper body & left arm were blue in color, & a large green belt with a skull & crossbones was adorned around his waist. His right arm was completely bionic, & a claw resided at the end where a hand should be. His face was light green in color, with a red helmet covering his head. Where his jaw should be was a metal appendage that had sharp teeth which seemed capable of biting through almost anything. He was strapped to the bed on which he lay at his arms, waist & legs.

At one time he went by the name of Kronis.

But when he returned from the Dark Hemisphere after the Mystic Wall came down, he goes by another name.

"Trapjaw!", Man-At-Arms said with malice.

"Man-At-Arms!", Trapjaw replied, lifting his head as far as it can go. "Is _this _how you treat _all _your guests?"

"You're _not _a guest! Now tell me – what _are _you doing here at the Palace? Why did you _come _here?!"

"I…uhh…"

"Yes?!", Duncan asked impatiently. "Come on – _out _with it!"

"I came…to ask for the help of you & the Masters."

"_Excuse _me?!", Man-At-Arms bellowed in disbelief. "Is this some kind of _joke?!_ Because it's _not _funny!"

"N-No, it's the _truth! _Honest!", Trapjaw insisted.

"Somehow, I'm having trouble swallowing this! 'Honesty' is a word that doesn't seem to fit anywhere in _your _vocabulary, Trapjaw!"

"But today it _does_", Roboto intervened, getting Duncan's attention.

"How do _you _know, Roboto?", he wondered.

"You forget, Man-At-Arms: you not only built me to be a gaming companion for Man-E-Faces' robot face, but also to be loyal in every possible way to you & the other Masters when it was needed. Even when I re-programmed myself for warfare, my systems still remained the same. Plus, it was _you _who gave me the ability to tell if anyone was lying or telling the truth, be it friend _or _foe. In Trapjaw's case, it is the latter. He speaks nothing short of the truth in his pleas."

Duncan _did _momentarily forget about that: he made Roboto for Man-E's robot face for Chess & other games, but added sensors to indicate if someone spoke on the level or not. And since Man-At-Arms' inventions hardly _ever _have a glitch or malfunction, then he _must _believe that Trapjaw, foe or not, _is _speaking truthfully.

"Very well, Roboto", he said, turning to his prisoner. "All right then, Trapjaw. Tell us the whole story from the beginning."

"The whole thing started over at Snake Mountain almost one week ago", the cyborg warrior began.

_Snake Mountain, six days previous:_

With the combined might of Tri-Klops' invention & Evil-Lyn's powerful magic, Godzilla appeared in a bright flash of white light that snatched him from Earth's Osaka, Japan to the backyard of Eternia's Snake Mountain. Dazed from his ordeal, Godzilla stood at the ledge where Skeletor & his warriors stood proud, simply awestruck by the big saurian's presence. Every mouth was fixed in a grin of admiration at their newest arrival of Super-Beasts.

"And _there_ – all delivered & ripe for the taking!", Tri-Klops said, shutting the machine off.

"Him even _more _impressive in _flesh!_", Two Bad's Baddhra head says.

"I hear _that!_", the Tuvar head said as both laugh & gives himself a high-five.

"Golly gee! He's _beautiful!_", Clawful said.

"In a _monster _kind of way!", Whiplash added.

"The sweet smell of victory we'll have with _this _beastie in hand!", Stinkor said.

"Oh, the destruction & havoc _he'll _be able to wreak once he's ours!", Mer-Man said.

"Speaking of being ours…", Skeletor says. "Beast Man! Evil-Lyn!"

"Yep! Comin' _right_ _up_, boss!", Beast Man said eagerly, standing nearest to Godzilla as Evil-Lyn nodded. "Okay, Evil-Lyn – hit me with that magic bath!"

"Here it _comes_, fur-face!", Evil-Lyn said, pointing her staff at Beast Man's back & hitting him with a bathing of purple energy, which in truth boosts Beast Man's ability to control animals exponentially. Feeling Evil-Lyn's magic in his system, Beast Man gets down to business as he stares at Godzilla.

"_You_, beast! You are under my power!", he says with a growl, his animalistic telepathy enhancing. "Your will is no longer your own, & resistance is futile! From this day forth, you will obey _every _command given to you either by me _or _my comrades, & you will follow them _without question!_ When we tell you to attack, you _attack! _When we tell you to kill, you _kill! _When we tell you to ravage & destroy, you do _exactly _that! Understand?!"

Godzilla felt the immense power driving through his brain by Beast Man's enhanced telepathy, getting what the humans would call a migraine. The beast-human's voice was all he could currently hear in his head, & mixed in with his commands, the Monster King was becoming lost in his mind as much as in this strange land he'd been brought to. His brain felt like it was being crushed by a large powerful hand, & he attempts to fight it back with every inch of his own power.

But Godzilla was starting to get sleepy, & soon his eyelids were getting heavy as he slowly closes them.

"Look at that! He's getting tired! Keep going, Beast Man – we got him on the ropes!", Trapjaw said.

"Ha! Won't be long _now!_", Beast Man says, grinning as he puts on the pressure.

Godzilla's vision was going dark, both in eyesight _and _in mind.

It was getting darker…darker…darker still…

But the Monster King would _not _submit: with his last ounce of consciousness, Godzilla became fully awake & broke the concentration of Beast Man's control over him. The feedback was too much for Skeletor's warrior beast to handle & cried out as he got thrown backwards, landing on his side. Evil-Lyn had managed to dodge in time & avoid being clobbered.

"What _happened?!_", Skeletor bellowed, his eyes glowing red.

"I…I don't _know!_", Evil-Lyn said. "This didn't occur with the _others!_"

"_Fix it! _Before this beast has the chance to…"

Skeletor was interrupted by a growling in Godzilla's throat, & the Monster King was staring down at the Evil Warriors of Snake Mountain with fire in his eyes. Then he opened his mouth & let out a thunderous roar that caused them to actually cringe in fear, including Skeletor & Evil-Lyn themselves. Both sorcerers brushed it aside & pointed their staffs at Godzilla, firing a most powerful blast from each. The beams struck Godzilla in the chest & sent him sprawling back a good 100 yards before crashing down on his side. The saurian let out a roar of pain, unlike anything he'd ever felt previously.

This pain was new to him. It was the forces of the mystic arts Godzilla was struck with – and it _hurts!_

He does _not _like this, & he was going to show his displeasure of it.

"So…this creature won't _serve _us, I see!", Skeletor said, the displeasure clear in his tone.

"So what'll we do _now?_", Trapjaw asked.

"Easy. Since it _won't _serve us, we'll just _kill _the thing!", Evil-Lyn said.

"So be it!", Tri-Klops said, firing his ruby eye beam & striking Godzilla in the neck. Mer-Man & Trapjaw both follow suit & fire their own beamed weapons at the Monster King: Mer-Man using both his sword's water beam & his trident's triple laser from the sharp prongs atop, while Trapjaw switches to his laser gun on his right cybernetic arm. His shots strike Godzilla in the face, with Mer-Man's hitting him in the chest where he was hit by Skeletor & Evil-Lyn before. The two evil sorcerers commence with their staffs & launch a beam of powerful energy, striking Godzilla where he had been, adding to Mer-Man's punishment of him.

Godzilla grunted in anguish as the combined might of technology & sorcery attack his person & torment his body with the greatest of pain. Slowly but surely, he makes his way over to those who have hurt him immensely, the ground shaking with each step.

It became apparent to Skeletor & his minions that, despite their best efforts, Godzilla was _still _advancing & not being stopped.

"T-This monster ain't gonna _stop! _What do we _do?!_", a panicked Whiplash asked.

"Only thing we _can _do!", Skeletor said. "Tri-Klops, re-activate that device &…"

"Send it back home! Got it!", the triple-eyes warrior said, already ceasing his eye bean & working the controls in a rush to perform his deed. Before he could punch in the final coordinates, Godzilla lit up both his spines & mouth, unleashing his heat ray that blasted the tall ledge Skeletor & his warriors stood upon, scorching just underneath where they were. Beast Man regained consciousness in time to see Godzilla unleash his fury & knock the wall down, taking Skeletor & everyone else with in as they tumble to the ground, crying in a panic. The device that brought Godzilla to Eternia was struck on a pointed piece of rock & pierced like a sword or dagger as it sparked briefly before being decommissioned.

Godzilla's only trip back home to Earth was totaled.

Skeletor, Evil-Lyn & the other evil warriors cleared the rocks off their persons just in time to see Godzilla stare down at each of them with fire in his eyes. They all looked back to see his mouth light up again, & for Skeletor, he experiences an emotion he has probably never known or felt.

Skeletor, the Dark Prince of the mystic arts, was actually _afraid!_

Afraid of Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

His trepidation was more than shared by all, including his second-in-command Evil-Lyn, & they screamed in horror as Godzilla let loose with his ray on Eternia's most vile bunch of warriors.

Everything turned white when the ray struck.

_The Royal Palace Infirmary, now:_

Trapjaw finishes his explanation, shivering with the memory in his mind.

"I thought I _bought _it when that thing unleashed its ray down upon us. But I got lucky: somehow, I was blown a distance & got knocked out. By the time I regained consciousness, I found no trace of the creature _or _of Skeletor & the others anywhere, not even in Snake Mountain itself. With what strength I had left, I took a Terrordactyl & flew to the Light Hemisphere when it gave out & had to go the rest of the way for here, at the Palace. That's when I fell down from injuries & exhaustion…"

"And the rest we know", Man-At-Arms said. "Roboto?"

"Sensors indicate that subject Trapjaw's systems are excited, yet with great fear by the sound of his voice", the man-machine said. "But as before, the veracity of his story is still at 100%."

Roboto's word was all Duncan needed to verify it, & nodded.

"So, uh…will you & the Masters _help?_", Trapjaw asked pleadfully.

"Let me first consult with the others about your story", Man-At-Arms said. "_Then _we'll decide what our next move will be once they…"

At that very moment, a small to medium tremor shook the whole room, felt by all.

_Oh no!_, Trapjaw thought as a deep chill went up his spine.

_The Throne Room:_

When it was time for Orko's magic act, the little Trollan wizard started with a few card tricks before going onto a spectacle that featured two rows of four juggled colored eggs that circle in perfect unison, like the start of a chain. Each egg shone brightly as they twirled, looking more like diamonds or rubies, their lights shining across the entire room & even the clothing/armor of each occupant, amazing them with surprise yet in awe. Even both King Randor & Queen Marlena were hugely impressed with Orko's performance of his magic act, truly believing that they, along with everyone else, will be spared an astronomical embarrassment, which is _usually _the case whenever Orko 'does his thing'.

"Is it _just _me, or is Orko actually getting _better _with his magic?", Marlena asks her husband in a low voice. That didn't prevent Orko from hearing & answering.

"Like I said, Your Highness, I've been practicing these tricks for _weeks!_", the Trollan wizard said. "Wouldn't want anything to go _wrong_ on your special day now, am I right?"

The King & Queen grin with relief & appreciation.

"Not bad for the little Trollan. Not bad at all", Sy-Klone said admirably.

"Yeah. I guess we can stop calling him the 'courtroom jester' now", Ram Man said, smiling.

Just then, Orko felt the room shake slightly which causes him to lose concentration. The instant he does, the eggs stop shining & get scattered like mini missiles in all directions, hitting eight unlucky individuals with literal egg on their face. Two of them happened to be the King & Queen, with Randor sporting a slight scowl as Marlena simply lowered her head in shame for Orko.

Another two were Sy-Klone & Ram Man.

"I think you may have spoken too soon, Ram Man", the wind warrior said.

"Yeah", the living battering ram said, hanging his head.

Two more were Man-E-Faces & Dekker, not to mention the kids of Man-At-Arms & the King & Queen.

"_Orko!_", Teela & Prince Adam berate him, their hands into fists & faces of anger.

"I-It wasn't _me_, everyone…honest!", Orko said in defense. "T-The whole room started to _shake_, and…"

In punctuation & proof of Orko's claims, the entire room shook again with more intent & continued doing so every time in intervals of seconds. Whatever wasn't tightly secured was knocked off tables & crashed to the floor by each vibration as people started getting nervous & worried.

"It appears that it _wasn't _your fault after all, Orko", said Stratos. "These are actual tremors!"

"And they're getting worse by the second!", Buzz-Off said. "Who or what is causing them? Skeletor again? Or maybe King Hssss & his vile band of snakes?"

"Let me go take a quick look-see!", Mekaneck said, running to a window & extending his bionic neck out & up above the Palace roofs. Taking a look around with his binocular vision, Mekaneck saw nothing so far until he turned southwards. Catching movement in the trees, he brought a dark patch closer in view as his visor magnified the object by several hundreds of feet.

What he saw made his jaw drop.

"By the Elders!", he said under his breath, his voice full of fear.

His magnified visor caught sight of a huge creature much taller than the surrounding trees in the forest on two massive legs which supported a reptilian body, two powerful-looking forearms, a dinosaurian head, a thick strong tail, & three rows of large purple dorsal spines that ran down its back. Every step the monster took made the ground shake & vibrate, even at a great distance.

Now Mekaneck knows what's causing the tremors.

What he _doesn't _know is that this monster goes by the name back on Earth as Godzilla.

And he was heading right for the Royal Palace!

**CHAPTER IV**

Retracting his bionic neck, Mekaneck informed everyone inside the Throne Room about what he'd discovered, putting them on full alert. The Masters took off & headed for the hangar area where the Palace's defenses were laying about & poised for action in case of an attack, which they can assume is going to happen from the approaching beast.

Others ran off in panic which included Cringer, taking off in a run & joining the crowd of scared guests, letting out a soft meow of fear as Adam ran off after him.

"Adam!", Teela & Marlena called out.

"My son! Where are _you _going?!", Randor asked, causing Adam to briefly stop.

"I've got to catch up with Cringer, father!", he said. "In his panicked state, he's liable to get himself trampled in the crowd or killed if that monster reaches the Palace! I can't let that happen to him! Don't worry – I'll be careful!"

Adam ran off just as he spoke his last statement, being gone from sight.

Teela shook her head: it was natural for Adam to run off in the heat of danger like he usually does, but because what he said of Cringer makes sense, she lets it go. They'd been inseparable since he was a young boy, so it was very understandable even to Teela that he'd want to look out for his well-being – especially if the oncoming monster _does _reach the Palace like Serpos did four months earlier.

Reminded of the impeding danger, Teela became all business.

"Lord Dactys, King Ceratus & Chief Carnivus – take the King & Queen to their transport for evacuation!", she said. "Get as far away from the Palace as you can until this crisis is resolved! Move it!"

On her last order, Teela took off for the hangar.

"Teela!", King Randor said, taking a step before being stopped by his wife & friends.

"Is _correct_, King Randor!", Dactys said. "We need you & the Queen to get to safer quarters, & that means being _away _from here!"

"You expect me to desert my _home?!_ I won't _do _such a thing! I'm as _much_ a warrior as _any _of the Masters are! I should be out _with _them, defending this place to protect my kingdom _and _my son!"

"King Randor, nobody's questioning your ability as a fighter!", King Ceratus said. "We've both seen & fought alongside you on numerous occasions! But don't forget: you _also _have a responsibility to your _Queen_ as much as you do your kingdom!"

"And my son?"

"The Prince has his _own _duties to attend as you do!", Chief Carnivus said. "You don't give him enough credit, Your Majesty! Despite his age, Prince Adam is quite resourceful – one of them being able to find He-Man when he's needed the most! Now, please…"

"Please, King Randor", said the Elder Kulatak. "If _anything _were to happen to you _or _the Queen…"

Combining the logic in their arguments, his friendship with all four leaders & even the pleading look placed on Marlena's face, King Randor nodded but still made a demand of his own.

"Very well. I won't argue the matter any further. But you all are to accompany me in the evacuation! I have a responsibility to my _friends_, just as I do everything else!"

"Fair enough, Randor. Let's get going, everyone!", Chief Carnivus said, & they all embark towards Randor's personal transport. As they scramble, Randor & Marlena still can't help but wonder about their only son Adam, being in an area sure to become a battlefield very soon. Aside from his constant laziness, he _is _a good person with a kind heart & does what he can. They should know: they raised him with these attributes in preparation to one day follow in his father's footsteps. He's got a long way to go yet, but they know he's got the potential & skill to pull it off.

Right now, they're on their own just as Prince Adam is.

_300 yards outside the Palace:_

Godzilla kept his march towards the Royal Palace without any further interference from anything else since he disposed of the two plant-like humans back at the beach he emerged onto. Only trees & numerous small animals were impeding his path, but these get knocked down with ease & scampered away for safer areas to dwell. The Palace was the first thing Godzilla's seen that closely resembled a city like those he'd ravaged back home, & his curiosity keeps him on the path he's taken in examining his new surroundings.

Three minutes later, he gets a glimpse of several airborne vehicles flying right for him, causing him to stop.

A huge armada of Battle Hawks, Sky Sleds & Wind Raiders approach Godzilla like a swarm of angry insects as Man-At-Arms leads the charge in a Battle Hawk once he'd taken Trapjaw over to a cell in the Palace's prison center for his own safety (as Duncan put it, anyway), his left arm being covered in a large cannon-like gun all set to fire. His daughter Teela flew another Battle Hawk, with those on Sky Sleds & Wind Raiders carrying powerful rifles ready to fire once the order was given.

"Whoa! He's a _big _one!", Ram Man said on his Sky Sled.

"Try not to let it intimidate you, Ram Man!", Man-At-Arms said. "Despite its size, it's still just an animal! And like _all _animals, it can be stopped!"

"So how exactly do you wish to _proceed _on this, Man-At-Arms?", Mekaneck asked in his Wind Raider with Man-E-Faces as his passenger, who holds a rifle.

"When I give the signal, we'll attack it simultaneously from every angle! If we're lucky, it should be enough to persuade it from advancing further towards the Palace!"

"And where do we go from there – _if _we're successful?", Man-E-Faces wondered.

"Let's worry about that if & when it comes! Now – get ready to fire on my order!"

Only Stratos, Buzz-Off & Sy-Klone flew without the aid of a vehicle, what with the former two being able to fly unaided, while the latter being kept airborne by his wind power. Godzilla views these strange new vehicles with a bit of fascination, but soon became on the alert: while he's never seen these air machines before now, he does know an attack formation when he sees one.

Sensing inevitable conflict, Godzilla unleashes an ear-shattering roar, giving Man-At-Arms his cue.

"_All units, open fire!_", he shouts.

On his order, everyone with a weapon or in a Battle Hawk opens up with missile & laser fire that streak forward & hit Godzilla against his scaly hide with great intensity. Like Man-At-Arms planned, the Battle Hawks, Sky Sleds & Wind Raiders all buzz around Godzilla's person like angry wasps, striking him everywhere & confusing him. Buzz-Off fires a round of bolts from his axe staff, hitting the Monster King in the face while Stratos unleashes a missile or two from his rear jet pack. Man-At-Arms fires a barrage of shots from his gun arm, striking Godzilla in the stomach. Every bolt & missile fired that made a direct hit on Godzilla was powerful enough to level an entire village with ease, but on the Monster King, he was just getting very annoyed: the projectiles striking him were more of a nuisance than what he'd been hit with in his homeland, & hurt more than usual.

It was time for Godzilla to take the offensive.

"Blast it all!", Fisto had cursed angrily, firing multiple blasts from his rifle while flying his Sky Sled. "We're hitting this monster with everything we've got, & we're not even getting so much as a _scratch _on it!"

"Just keep pouring it on, Fisto!", Duncan said. "Whatever happens, that thing _does not _reach the Palace! Turn up the _heat _on this beast! Keep it distracted long enough for…"

Man-At-Arms paused to see Godzilla light up his dorsal spines & inside of his mouth before he releases his heat ray at the swarm of flying vehicles in his path. His beam hit several Sky Sleds & Battle Hawks, some of which had pilots who didn't get out in time before they exploded in fireballs. The number of flying vehicles greatly dwindle as Godzilla concentrates his ray on large piles of vehicles, decreasing their ranks. The results were as terrifying: brave pilots Duncan himself trained were literally wiped out in balls of fire as vehicle after vehicle blew up in mid-air, their pieces being scattered everywhere. Even Roboto was taken down in a scrap heap of a pile. Those that _were _saved by Sy-Klone, Stratos & Buzz-Off were placed upon the ground & ran for cover, avoiding falling debris.

Realizing how correct Fisto had been before & the futility of the attack, Man-At-Arms gave all the survivors a new order.

"_Retreat! All forces, retreat back to the Palace!_", he bellowed.

His order had an immediate effect: those not blasted by Godzilla's ray scrambled off & headed back. Duncan can see his daughter Teela being among them, followed by Ram Man, Mekaneck & Man-E-Faces & even his brother Fisto all heading back towards the Palace, giving Man-At-Arms some relief.

Then he felt his own Battle Hawk explode, throwing him into the air.

_The Palace evacuation port:_

King Randor & Queen Marlena hurried to their shuttle in record time, escorted by the other delegates. Even at a distance, the ground shook from the battle taking place in the forest, causing them to lose their balance temporarily. In making matters worse, some stones were being shaken loose from above, causing a miniature avalanche. Those who were still trying to flee were caught in its path.

"Quickly, my King & Queen! The evacuation shuttles are straight ahead!", Chief Carnivus said, struggling to avoid the stones raining down. A stray blast from Godzilla's ray strikes a tall spire, exploding it in a shower of rubble which comes down on those making their way towards the shuttles – including the King & Queen themselves.

"_Your Highness! Your Majesty! Watch out above you!_", Lord Dactys warned, but it was too late. Both Randor & Marlena were struck on the sides of their heads by a sizable rock. As they go down, their visions go dark as Dactys & the others desperately call their names, with neither King nor Queen being responsive to their pleas.

From around a corner, Prince Adam watched as his parents were being taken to safety by their closest friends with Cringer at his side. He wanted to be absolutely certain they'd been removed from the danger zone before getting into his 'battle gear'. His world came crashing down when he witnesses Godzilla's blast strike a spire & rain debris down on his mother & father, seeing them hit with a rock & lapsing into unconsciousness as their friends & delegates call out their names in desperation.

Hearing Godzilla's roar sent a chill up Cringer's spine (like most everything else does), but it got replaced with a deep anger rising inside him, seeing two of the most wonderful people he's ever known getting hurt. This makes him scowl & grit his teeth with deep hate.

Adam's face begets his own feelings, which were the same as his childhood friend's.

"You & me _both_, Cringer!", Adam said through clenched teeth, taking off for a secluded spot with Cringer in pursuit. When he was certain that no one was in the vicinity, Prince Adam took his power sword from behind his back & raised it above his head.

He then started crying out the phrase that will suit him & Cringer up for battle.

_The forest outside the Palace:_

Melted & twisted metal of what were once Sky Sleds, Wind Raiders & Battle Hawks were strewn across the forest, with numerous trees in burnt splinters & blasted lumber. Most men have been retreated by Sy-Klone, Stratos & Buzz-Off back to the Palace, up to & including Teela, Mekaneck, Ram Man, Man-E-Faces & Fisto. Man-At-Arms himself, however, wasn't so lucky: his Battle Hawk got blown away by Godzilla & sent crashing down. Were it not for his armor taking the brunt of the blast, Duncan would've joined the grisly fate of several of his men who have died in battling the Monster King, or even be in pieces as Roboto is. He was awakened by thunderous footsteps as Godzilla was fast approaching his position with no inkling of what was below his nose.

Fighting to get up & run on foot, Man-At-Arms ached all over & couldn't get very far. He got as far as a few measly steps when a familiar face appeared before him.

It was the little Trollan wizard.

"Orko?! What are _you _doing out here on the battlefield?!", Duncan bellowed.

"Getting _you _far _away _from it, Man-At-Arms!", he replied. "Teela was deeply _worried_ about you, &…"

"Get out of here _now_, Orko! _Forget _about me!", Duncan demanded as the sound of Godzilla's steps got louder & louder.

"Nothing _doing_, Man-At-Arms! We don't leave our own people to die _or _left behind!", Orko said in defense, wiggling his fingers as he concocts a spell. "_Away from this area of high destruction & malice, help get Man-At-Arms safely back to the palace!_"

_Let this work – _please_!_, Orko thought, casting his spell.

"Orko! Wa…!", was all that Man-At-Arms could say before he was showered by bubbles of baby blue energy & disappears seconds after the Trollan wizard cast his spell, looking almost like a bubble in a bathtub. No sooner did Orko teleport Duncan safely away did he notice a huge shadow looming overhead. Orko looks up to see a large heavy foot quickly coming down upon him, gulping fearfully.

"uh-oh", was all the little wizard had time to say in a weak low voice before Godzilla's left foot came crashing down & squashing the floating Trollan with earth-shaking impact. As soon as Orko was struck, Godzilla gets the same treatment in his chest by a small, unseen yet extremely powerful force which knocks him back several meters & lands on his side with a crashing thud that rocks the foundation, unleashing a roar of surprise & disdain. This force which knocked Godzilla away & down for the count was that of a very well-built man around six-foot-six in height, with a head of blonde hair & blue eyes. His attire consisted of armor that was silver mixed in with green, red & gold. His armor covered almost every part of his body, leaving only his left side & arm, hands, head & part of his left leg exposed, with a right shoulder harness that was enlarged with an insignia of a snake with a dagger embedded on it. A large sword bigger than Prince Adam's was held in his right hand, & a shield with the snake insignia was attached to his left metal forearm cuff.

It was Prince Adam's hidden self whenever he calls upon the 'Power of Grayskull'.

He is He-Man, sometimes known as 'The Most Powerful Man in the Universe'.

By his side is his trusted steed Battle Cat, who is secretly Cringer, being two-three times his original size with red battle harness on his face, front paws & back, the latter of which is a saddle for riding. A pair of long fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's protruded from the top of his mouth.

He-Man bends down to pick up Orko, who lay in his arms unresponsive, a pang of guilt spread across his face.

Battle Cat growls softly, no doubt feeling the same way.

"Battle Cat, take Orko quickly but carefully back to the Palace & wait for me there", He-Man replied in a compassionate tone, gently placing the Trollan wizard upon his saddle. He then turned to Godzilla, who was now getting back up on his feet, all traces of compassion gone with a look of pure malice on his face.

"I've got a _score _to settle with this creature!", he said coldly through clenched teeth.

Acknowledging with a roar, Battle Cat turned & took off for the Palace with Orko in tow. Even before he was gone, He-Man leaped in the air at Godzilla, striking him hard in the face. The blow disorients the Monster King as He-Man leaps again & hits Godzilla in the back, sending him crashing flat on his face. He-Man lands in front of the Monster King in order to let him get a good look at who's giving him such a thrashing.

Godzilla was stunned: it was a human in silver armor, shield & sword with wavy blonde hair that pulverized his approach to the Palace, landing blows few others have of his size, from the skull-faced human & his female to that of the one who possessed a glowing magenta amulet, enabling him to fly & do magic. But _this _human was beating him with nothing more than his bare fists!

He-Man's blue eyes were seeing red as he stared down Godzilla with deep hatred.

"Come on, monster!", he bellowed. "Try & take _me _down like you did my _friends _if you think you've got what it takes! _Come on!_"

He-Man's tone suggests a challenge to Godzilla, & the Monster King is never one to back down from one, no matter who or _what _his opponent may be. Roaring in answer, Godzilla lights up his spines & mouth, launching his heat ray. He-Man leaps up & avoids the radioactive flame, soaring towards the monster's head & slamming down on it, bringing Godzilla's head down to the ground & ceasing his ray. Jumping through his dorsal spines, He-Man makes his way towards the monster's rear when his tail whipped up. Eternia's defender simply knocks it away hard with his shield, actually hurting Godzilla & making him cry out in pain. The Monster King rises angrily & turns 180 degrees to find his small but _very _powerful quarry standing several yards from his position. Godzilla raises his foot to try & trample his enemy like he'd done with Orko, but He-Man jumped out of the way just in time as Godzilla's foot hit nothing but open dirt & grass. The Monster King tried a different tactic by whipping his tail around & flatten He-Man with it, but the Defender of Eternia dodges that as well, giving Godzilla the same result as before.

The Monster King was done playing around: firing his heat ray, Godzilla aimed it at He-Man, who dives for cover & avoids getting scorched. He follows his foe around, burning an ample amount of lush forest with his primary weapon.

_I better stop that flame of his before he burns down the whole forest with it!_, He-Man thought, leaping into the air & hitting Godzilla square in the side of his face with his hardest hit yet. This actually made the saurian see white stars in his vision, & his eyesight's condition worsens as He-Man makes several blows to his head over & over until Godzilla staggered around like a blind man who's lost his walking cane. Grunts of pain & confusion gurgle in his throat as he tries to get his bearings, leaving him wide open for another attack by He-Man.

It's precisely what he was planning: holding his sword with the blade down, He-Man prepares to make another leap at Godzilla, only this time will be a killing blow as he plans to drive himself into & through Godzilla's skull.

_This is for what you did to my _parents_, you filthy monster!_, He-Man thought angrily, his teeth clenched harder as he leaps up & heads straight for Godzilla's head with his sword raised. Godzilla's sight was inert, but his _other _senses were still in full gear: instinctively hearing his enemy's approach, the Monster King waited until he was several yards away before doing a full 360 degree turn in a move that would be impossible for anything so big. This maneuver took He-Man totally by surprise & was unprepared for it: like an annoying fly, he was swatted by Godzilla's massive tail with a loud crack that sent Eternia's champion soaring through the air & straight into the Palace wall before going out through the other side – down into the deep abyss behind the place.

"He-Man?", said Teela as his sword came down embedded in the stone & their hero smashed into the wall.

Unconscious since Godzilla smacked him, He-Man fell down the abyss & continued dropping until Stratos had caught him in his arms from a boost by his flight pack, taking him back up to the surface where Buzz-Off, Mekaneck, Ram Man, Man-E-Faces, Fisto, Sy-Klone, Teela & Dekker gather.

"Thank the Elders you got him back in one piece, Stratos!", Buzz-Off said. "Is he…?"

"Unconscious but still alive, thank goodness", the bird-man said.

Godzilla's roar caught their attention, & they all turned to face the Monster King standing in the inferno he has created in the forest with his ray. Even from far off, the blaring sound was heard & stung their ears. They feared that without He-Man, the Masters would be all but powerless if Godzilla made his way further towards the Palace with so many wounded & no way to stop him.

Fortunately for them, Godzilla _doesn't _continue his trek for the Palace: turning east, he heads towards water again, having enough excitement for one day. His new trek will take him back to the Harmony Sea, leaving the Palace & Defenders of Eternia humbled & defeated, just as Skeletor, his warriors, the three giants, Count Marzo, Evilseed & Moss Man all have been.

Godzilla roars again as he makes his way east.

"But I fear it may be all for naught", Sy-Klone added solemnly. "We've all experienced how powerful this creature is. Even _He-Man _was stomped by its immense strength."

"So…where do we go from _here?_", asked Ram Man.

"More importantly, where did this monster _come _from?", Mekaneck asked. "I've never seen or heard of a beast like this _anywhere _on the planet!"

"I'm willing to bet my new hand that _Skeletor _has his filthy mitts all over this!", Fisto said.

"Yes, I too believe it as well, & Trapjaw can fill us in on the lowdown of it all", Man-E-Faces said. "Man-At-Arms has him locked up in a prison cell down in the dungeon."

"And my father? Did he make it out okay?", a worried Teela asked.

"Just _barely_, Teela", Man-At-Arms said, stumbling from the Palace with a newly-arrived Battle Cat & Orko, the latter of whom still lays unconscious on his saddle. Teela gave her father a hug in relief.

"What happened to Orko?", she asked.

"_He's _the reason I'm still here. He teleported me back to the Palace just in time before that monster's foot…"

The scenario was clear in everyone's minds, & they feared the worst for the little Trollan.

"H-He isn't _dead_, is he? _Please _say he isn't dead", Ram Man pleaded.

Man-E-Faces' face switches from man to robot.

"Scanners indicate that Orko is still alive, although in serious critical condition", he says in a mechanized voice after a quick analysis. His face reverts back to his human one.

"We'll take Orko to the infirmary right away", Man-At-Arms said. "Once we attend to him & all of the other wounded, douse that raging inferno in the forest _and _fix this place up a bit, I'll get Trapjaw from the prison so that he can relay his story to the rest of you as he'd done me."

"He'd _better!_", Stratos, Mekaneck, Fisto, Man-E-Faces, Buzz-Off & Ram Man said with malice.

Duncan could understand how they felt: Skeletor has brought a monster from another world that proved to be too much for even _him _to handle, & now it's loose on Eternia. He wondered on how to get rid of or destroy this new menace to the planet, with no immediate answers coming to even his highly intellectual mind. But one thing was for certain: aside from Serpos, Godzilla was now the mightiest thing living on Eternia.

And nobody, be it the Heroic Masters _or _Skeletor's Evil Warriors, is safe from his wrath.

_A blackened void:_

The darkness spread everywhere He-Man looked: left, right, up, down, & even in front of & behind him. All he _could _see in the void was himself in his armor with his shield & sword. It was endless, & he had no idea of where to start going to for a way out. He needn't bothered: a light just two feet away shone in his face, & He-Man covered it with his shield. When it was gone, he saw a female figure standing before him. She was close to his height, dressed in an outfit & headset resembling that of the Earth Egyptian Goddess Horus, complete with armored bodice, skirt, brown wrist bands & long boots, leaving her femur & arms bare. Like her outfit, her eyes were teal, with a same-colored mark like a claw beneath each one. A pair of large bird-like wings were adorned on her back, & she held a tall golden staff with the mold of a bird residing at the top.

He-Man knew her: she was the one who presented him the power of Grayskull in order to _become _He-Man.

She is a descendant of a long line of protectors of Castle Grayskull.

"Sorceress", He-Man said plain & simple.

"He-Man", she replied. "It is good to see that Godzilla did no _permanent _damage to your person during your violent struggle."

"Godzilla? You mean the monster I fought who knocked me for a loop just now?"

"The very same."

"What _is _he, Sorceress? Where in all of Eternia did he even _come _from?"

"He is the victim of an unfortunate accident which happened long ago. To answer your _second _question, he is _not _of Eternian history. Godzilla had been brought here to our world by the forces of dark magic which resides from the Dark Hemisphere."

The Dark Hemisphere's mentioning made He-Man knew already of who was involved.

"Skeletor!", he said with a scowl. "I should have known _he'd _be behind this!"

"Indeed", the Sorceress went on. "For over a week, he has brought monsters from other worlds over to Eternia, using the combined might of dark sorcery & science to achieve this miracle."

"He's been doing this for more than a _week? _How is it that you weren't able to detect this up until now?"

"There are two reasons: one, for several days I've been experiencing an unexplainable trauma that has left me weak & temporarily powerless. Two, the Dark Hemisphere's malevolent sorcery has been stronger than it has ever been since the Mystic Wall's been breached. Even Zodak & myself cannot always sense what goes on in Skeletor's backyard, making him all the more harder to keep tabs on, let alone defeat."

"So how _were _you able to find out what he was up to?"

"When Godzilla destroyed the device that brought him & the other monsters here to Eternia, I felt a surge of the power he used in order to summon the beasts he has selected in his latest scheme. The explosion of this power left me drained temporarily, & was strong enough to knock me unconscious for a few days. When I awoke, I realized that it had been the power of Grayskull itself which he had used, explaining my unrest & sudden blackout."

He-Man was surprised by this news.

"Skeletor had a piece of Grayskull in his hands?! How was that _possible?!_", he asked.

"It must've been when you defeated Serpos with your sword four months ago", she says. "As the serpent-beast was sent back & melded into Snake Mountain once more, a small but powerful piece of that power must have been embedded into it, unknowingly to all, including me. Skeletor no doubt discovered it recently, & harnessed the power to summon those creatures from other planets to aide him in his conquest of Eternia."

"He probably had no idea that a piece of Grayskull was in his hands all that time. In a way, I suppose that was _most_ fortunate for us."

"Even _more _so the power of that crystal shard is back inside of Grayskull, where it belongs. But there still exists the danger of the creatures Skeletor & his warriors have brought here, with Godzilla being the most dangerous of all. He broke free of his control, & now he runs rampant across Eternia, becoming a threat to everything & everyone."

"If that's the case, then you're asking me to…"

"Yes. It is one of many hard choices you will have to make on this task that lay before you. But know this: you are as strong in both mind & spirit as you are in physical strength. You will need every ounce of it when the moment of truth comes to pass."

"I don't get it. _What _'moment of truth' do you mean, Sorceress? How will I even know if & when it arrives?", He-Man wanted to ask, but by then the Sorceress faded away, leaving Eternia's champion alone in the dark again. He called for her once more, but got no reply.

His own consciousness went dark for several more hours.

_The next morning:_

A long & mostly sleepless afternoon & night was spent in tending those who sustained cuts & bruises during the battle with Godzilla. Those who were able to move about easily enough aided the Masters in licking other's wounds & doing some repairs to the Palace which, fortunately, weren't as bad as they feared. So far, the worst that came to pass were the destruction of the many vehicles used in repelling Godzilla, ending in total mayhem & resulted in several casualties as many a brave soldier died in fiery holocausts caused by Godzilla's heat ray.

The Palace Infirmary was packed with wounded in action & those who tried to flee the danger zone, three of which were King Randor, Queen Marlena & Orko. Man-At-Arms stares solemnly at three who has been by his side for many years, now laying helpless on a bed which might be their last before the unthinkable happens. None of them have so much as twitched since their accidents, with Orko's condition being the most severe. Being from the magic world of Trolla, even Duncan couldn't tell how much tolerance his form could take before it's overwhelming, or if he could even die. Orko risked it all to save him from a terrible fate, & he now lies just as unresponsive to treatment as the King & Queen themselves.

But Man-At-Arms _does _know that he owes Orko his life: had he not performed his spell of teleportation, Man-At-Arms would not be standing here at this very moment. He'd be just another of many casualties during Godzilla's rampage, leaving a daughter without a father & many friends in deep mourning.

"Get well soon, my King & Queen", he says softly to Randor & Marlena before facing Orko's unmoving form. "You too, Orko. Don't let my rescue be for naught, okay?"

Feeling himself close to crying, Duncan left the infirmary to rally his forces.

Trapjaw was released from his prison cell & brought before the Masters waiting outside the Palace along with Mekaneck, Teela, Stratos, Fisto, Sy-Klone, Ram Man, Man-E-Faces, Buzz-Off, Dekker, Battle Cat & a refreshed He-Man as he explained the situation to the rest of the group as he'd done with Man-At-Arms the other day before all hell broke loose. His story mixed in precisely with what the Sorceress had told He-Man in the time he was speaking to her when he was unconscious, even adding to the matter that the monster was called Godzilla.

When Trapjaw asked how he knew of such information, Man-At-Arms revealed that He-Man 'had his sources'.

Being in hot water enough as he was, Trapjaw didn't argue the matter further.

The Masters allowed all the information from friend & foe alike to sink in, sharing their thoughts & feelings.

"'Godzilla', huh? He even _sounds _like a menace!", Fisto said.

"And he's more than proven to _be _one", Man-E-Faces adds.

"At least he's gone from the Palace for now", said Mekaneck. "Bad as this was, it could've been a _lot_ worse."

"Things _will _get worse unless he's stopped, Mekaneck", Teela said with undisguised fear. "And I haven't the foggiest idea on how to _do _that. If even _He-Man _couldn't stop him…"

Teela stopped herself & stared at Eternia's champion with sorrowful eyes. He-Man quickly waved it off with a little smile.

"No offense taken, Teela", he said, seeing her trepidation. "But you're correct – Godzilla is a problem that's _much _bigger than even _we _can handle ourselves. The way we need to handle this is by…"

"Ain't _that _the truth! And _who's _to blame for all this trouble?! Him & that bonehead of a _boss _of his, always making life difficult for us & decent folks just trying to get by!", Ram Man bellowed, cutting in & pointing his finger at Trapjaw. "Give me _one _good reason why I shouldn't knock you into _next week_, mister!"

"Ram Man, please…", Man-At-Arms says, getting in front of him with a hand held out to defuse the situation.

"No, Man-At-Arms: Ram Man's _right!_", Buzz-Off cut in. "From what information we've gathered, this is just another of Skeletor's insane schemes that went beyond even _his _control, & now _we're _left with cleaning up _his_ mess!"

"Yeah! Because of him & his foul band, we have a near-indestructible monster running amok on the planet – one that's put many people in the infirmary, & even _more _who won't see another sunrise ever again!", Fisto adds just as angrily. "Worst of all, we can't tell if the King & Queen, or even poor little Orko, will regain consciousness again – if they ever _do!_"

"Hey, cut us some _slack_, won't you? How were _we _to know that Godzilla would break free from our control?", Trapjaw says in his defense, as feeble as it seems.

"Always with an alibi, aren't you, Trapjaw?!", Stratos scoffed. "I guess the only consolation in _this _is that Godzilla probably did us all a favor by _wiping out _Skeletor & his band of miscreants! Believe me, there'll be no tears shed for _any _of them should that prove to be true!"

"Stratos, everyone, please", Man-At-Arms says. "I can sympathize with your feelings, believe me. But getting personal revenge upon Trapjaw isn't going to help us solve the problem, let alone accomplish anything. We need to conjure up a strategy as to how we can _deal _with Godzilla, either by destroying or booting him off the planet."

"Man-At-Arms is correct", Sy-Klone said. "This is not the time to be dwelling on past mistakes, regardless of who's made them. What we _should _be focusing on is formulating a plan to stop Godzilla & be rid of him."

"Of course, that's going to be easier said than done, Sy-Klone", said Mekaneck. "What kind of strategy _can _we come up with in dealing with such an invincible creature like him?"

"We'll think of one along the way, Mekaneck", Man-At-Arms said.

"On the way to _where_, Man-At-Arms?", Man-E-Faces asks.

"To Skeletor", He-Man said. "Despite Stratos' wish, I have a strong feeling old bonehead is still casting spells somewhere, & Godzilla is as much a menace to _his _bunch as he is to our own."

The concept strikes the Masters, & most have mixed feelings about it.

"He-Man, are you suggesting that we…?", Teela started saying when her father cut in.

"He's _more _than suggesting it, Teela", he said. "We _need _Skeletor's help if we're to defeat Godzilla."

"Are you _sure _that's wise, Man-At-Arms?", Buzz-Off asked. "Last time you enlisted his aide against the Snake Men, & he brushed you off like you were nothing more than a speck of dirt on his shoulder. I'm betting he's going to be just as _un_cooperative on _this_."

"Be that as it may, Buzz-Off, we have to try at the very least."

"There's a saying that might prove useful: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'", Sy-Klone said.

"And, hard as it may seem for us to believe, Skeletor & his band are the best friends we _have _right now", He-Man said. "Like it or lump it, we _need _his assistance if we're to defeat Godzilla. Are we all in agreement?"

Seeing no other way around or option, the Masters nodded.

"What about _you_, Trapjaw?", Man-E-Faces asked. "Are _you _willing to wise up & join forces against Godzilla?"

"Hey, even _I _know when I'm outclassed, okay?", he said. "Besides, knowing Skeletor, I'll bet he's _itching _for some serious payback after the thrashing he got from Godzilla last week."

"Just try not to stab us in the back this time like you did with me in the Ice Mountains once", Stratos said as he reminds Trapjaw of his betrayal while on their quests for Eternium, the hardest substance on the planet.

"Hey, bird-man, I thought that was supposed to be _forgotten _about, you know?"

"Not by _me_, Trapjaw. _Never _by me", he said, staring hard at him. Trapjaw gives him indifferent: just because they're at an uneasy truce, it didn't mean the cyborg warrior was going to be intimidated.

"All right, fine – _be _that way!", he said. "So…are we going to hit the road, or what? Godzilla's not gonna wait for us to catch up to him, & he's probably halfway around the planet by now!"

"How many Wind Raiders do we have?", Man-At-Arms asked Fisto.

"Aside from the losses we sustained, we still have well over six dozen fully functional", the big-fisted warrior said. "How many do you want to take with us?"

Duncan thought about it for a few moments.

"Here's how we'll play this: Mekaneck, Fisto, Teela, Ram Man & Man-E-Faces will each take one, while He-Man, Battle Cat, Trapjaw & myself will take a specially-designed Wind Raider that's made for more than two. With Trapjaw's help & the instruments aboard, we should be able to locate Skeletor without too much difficulty."

"Wait…isn't Adam coming with us?", Teela wondered.

"Last I saw of him, he ran to his room, locked the door & refuses to come out or even answer anyone, including me", He-Man said. "No doubt he's still pretty upset over what happened to his parents just the other day."

"Aww, the poor kid. Can't say I blame him", Ram Man said sympathetically, slumping his head & shoulders.

_Neither do I, Ram Man_, Teela thought, her head lowered in sorrow. _I guess I _am _pretty hard on Adam at times. He's quite lucky to _have _both his parents in his life, unlike me. And now, he could be on the verge of _losing _them – no thanks to Skeletor & his crew!_

Man-At-Arms places a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Adam will be fine, Teela. He just…needs his space for right now", he kindly assures her as Teela nodded.

"Then you folks go on ahead, Duncan. I'll stay here at the Palace & tend to whoever needs assistance", Dekker said. "I'll _also _see to it that Prince Adam isn't disturbed for any reason."

"Thanks a lot, Dekker. I _know _I can count on you", Man-At-Arms said, shaking his former teacher's hand.

"Always, Duncan. Always. May the Elders be with you in your quest."

"Then time to saddle up, people!", He-Man said as the Masters & Trapjaw head off for the hangar where their rides await. Five minutes later, they were airborne as they leave Dekker & the Palace behind.

The hunt for the King of the Monsters has officially begun.

_Inside Castle Grayskull:_

A fully-revived Sorceress stood at the top of her pyramid throne, viewing the events at the Palace on a magical mirror she summoned with her own power. Standing next to her is the Cosmic Enforcer Zodak, who has hurried to Grayskull after the Sorceress put out a last-second telepathic distress call to him before passing out from the surge of power when Godzilla destroyed the device that brought him from Earth to Eternia, including the crystal within. Their staffs in hand, they watch the scene unfold until heading off in their Wind Raiders before their power made the mirror vanish with a simple wave of their hands.

Like steam in a pot, it was gone.

"And so it begins", said the Sorceress.

"Yes", said Zodak, turning to her. "Are you all right, Sorceress? You seem rather…worried about something."

"I guess I'm just reeling still from the power surge when the crystal Skeletor had was destroyed, is all."

Zodak was not convinced. He knows something was troubling her deeply, & he pressed on further.

"Are you _sure _that's all?", he asked firmly.

The Sorceress looked at him like she'd been insulted.

"Is there something you wish to say to me, Zodak? If so, _out _with it!", she snapped.

"I only have _this _to bring up: you haven't told He-Man the _full _story of Godzilla's origins yet, dear Sorceress", he says. "And I'm positive that you know the reason _why_."

"It was _not _the right time to relay that information to him. _You _can understand why I haven't."

"And if & when you _do _tell him? With such knowledge, there's a very good chance that He-Man will _balk _on the most crucial moment this mission is undoubtedly sure to have, were he to know the truth about the creature. Aside from his great strength & wisdom, his sentimentality could pose to be a problem. What then?"

"You underestimate He-Man even now, Zodak. His sense of duty is unmatched by most others, & his morale is unshakable. Time & again, he has proven his worth of harnessing the power of Grayskull ever since I have presented young Prince Adam with the Sword of Power – the very weapon once wielded by King Grayskull himself up until his death when he defeated Hordak many years ago. And so you know, his sentimentality _hardly _makes him weak – it's what makes him the champion he now is. Without it, he'd be no better than those he's sworn to stop, if not worse. But I sense you have _another _concern dwelling within you, Zodak. Care to share?"

Zodak couldn't deny the fact, so share with her he does.

"Most of the Masters are _not _big fans of joining forces with Skeletor to repel Godzilla", he says as he heads down the pyramid's steps, taking two at a time. "They are _right _to be weary of the matter: they once tried forming an alliance with him not too long ago when King Hssss was in danger of being set free a second time by General Rattlor & Kobra Kahn, only to attack them upon first sight like the stubborn fool he is. If he was thick-headed _then_, he'll be even more so now, endangering Eternia & putting the entire planet in jeopardy."

Zodak made it to the bottom of the pyramid, when the Sorceress flew down & landed right in front of him with a face that was as hard as her throne on which she sat.

"Endangering the planet because of one man's stubbornness!", she said in a harder tone. "That sounds pretty _funny _coming from _you_, Zodak! Please feel free to correct me if I should get this wrong, but…I do seem to recall you doing _no _different from when Rattlor & Kahn freed King Hssss from the void that second time with ease after they, along with Evil-Lyn, took your staff from your domain! You could've _easily _defeated even those three, & yet you've allowed them to walk all over you & take your weapon, almost as if you _wanted _Hssss to be freed, just so that _you _could settle a personal vendetta that began many years previous! Did I, by chance, happen to leave anything out?!"

Zodak's eyes scowled deeper: again, he wasn't going to deny her of that fact, but he also wasn't going to let her get under his skin. He hated for anyone to tell him of his personal tragedy & rub it in his face, like it was as much of a poison to his person as King Hssss' own venom would be.

"You could _never _know of how it feels to lose someone you love so much, Sorceress!", he growled. "I watched as King Hssss killed & _devoured _my younger brother! The rage inside of me since that day – _that _was as if Hssss had poisoned me himself with his fatal bite as he once did you, only worse!"

"On the contrary, I know _exactly _how it feels, Zodak!", she said, standing her ground. "_I _was in love once with a brave warrior who left me with a special gift – my daughter Teela, with whom I gave to Man-At-Arms to raise as his own! I had to abandon both in order to fulfil my duties here in Grayskull, as I have taken an oath & sworn to do! When you think about it, Zodak, we're _not _so different from each other!"

Zodak & the Sorceress stared hard at one another for several moments, with neither one giving in. The Cosmic Enforcer had to admire her courage despite her insubordination towards him: she stood her ground with him where a lesser individual would've been too cowardice to face him.

But not her: aside from He-Man himself, she showed no trepidation when addressing him.

Of that, he can deeply respect.

She could very well be right: maybe he & the Sorceress _aren't _so different after all.

"Spoken like a true warrior. I yield", Zodak said, releasing the tension between them.

"Come, Zodak. Let us observe the oncoming battle & ready ourselves to be on standby, should this fight end here at Grayskull", the Sorceress said in a much calmer tone, extending her hand with a slight smile on her face.

"It very well could. Let us commence", the Cosmic Enforcer said, taking her hand & smiling as she is.

On good terms again, they approach the pyramid's top & re-activate the mystic window.

**CHAPTER V**

_The Light Hemisphere, east of the Royal Palace:_

With He-Man's Wind Raider taking point, the others follow close by in their own machines in tight formation as Sy-Klone taking flight on his wind powers, with Stratos & Buzz-Off doing so on their natural wings. For several hours, they've been following the trail of knocked-down trees & large footprints embedded in the dirt that were left in Godzilla's wake, making it all too easy in seeing where he headed off.

"I'll say _one _thing for Godzilla", Buzz-Off states. "He leaves a trail of destruction so obvious that even the most dumbfounded of warriors would have no trouble in locating him. He doesn't even _bother _to cover his trail."

"With the immense strength & power that Godzilla possesses, he doesn't _have _to", Stratos says. "Like Serpos himself, he's the type of creature that will take on all challenges, anytime & anywhere. And that makes him all the _more _dangerous to deal with – possibly even more than the snake god himself."

"That surely sounds a whole lot like your _boss_, doesn't it, Trapjaw?", He-Man joked, taking a peek over at the cyborg warrior with a smirk.

"Ha-ha, very funny!", Trapjaw said humorlessly. From behind, Battle Cat gave a low menacing growl. Trapjaw paid him no mind as He-Man & Man-At-Arms shared a quick grin.

"More than likely, Godzilla's headed back into the Harmony Sea, judging by the path of destruction. Your best bet is to head straight for the Sands of Fire in order to meet up with Skeletor – _if _he's still alive", Trapjaw continued.

"Honestly, I was thinking that very same thing, Trapjaw", Man-At-Arms said over his shoulder. "Once we get there, we'll head directly for Snake Mountain along that route & then we'll know for sure whether or not he or any of the others _did _survive Godzilla's attack just as you have."

Most of the trip went in silence, but in Trapjaw's mind, a lot was going on.

_Truth be told, I honestly do hope that Skeletor _is _dead, killed by Godzilla's hand!_, he thought. _I'll _never _forget what he did to me all those years ago when we were first sealed up in the Dark Hemisphere by the Mystic Wall!_

Like an old movie, pictures of long ago started appearing in Trapjaw's head.

_Snake Mountain, 16 years previous:_

In this point in time, Trapjaw was still known as Kronis, a blue-skinned man with a red helmet & a gray piece of armor over his right shoulder. He stood with Beast Man, Whiplash, Mer-Man, Tri-Klops & Evil-Lyn as Keldor – his face devoid of flesh, leaving only bone & hollow eyes that glowed red – sat on his throne, his Havoc Staff placed in his right hand. In his new guise, Keldor was renamed Skeletor.

Currently, he was in a heated argument with Kronis.

"It doesn't matter _how _I look!", Skeletor barked. "You will follow _me _as you followed _Keldor!_ We're still one & the same!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you're _wrong!_", Kronis snapped back. "Your _injuries _don't stop at the _bone_, 'Skeletor'! You're _not _the man I followed! You have become irrational…_flawed! _You, sir, are no longer _fit _to lead us!"

The faces of the other warriors in the room displayed looks of utter shock, seeing as to how Kronis could have the mitigated gall to talk back to the one man who bounded them together. Even Evil-Lyn herself would dare not to give such disrespectful backtalk to Skeletor, despite her own powerful magic.

But Kronis showed no fear on his face – only contempt to the man he believes has become a fraud.

"Um, Kronis, maybe you shouldn't…", Mer-Man started to say until he was stopped by his turning towards him with a look of malice & by Tri-Klops' arm in front of him, followed by a shake of his head, warning him not to get involved & just let the scenario play its course.

"Then who shall take my place? _You?_", Skeletor said with a slight chuckle. "Kronis, your idiocy _amuses _me."

"Yeah? Go _ahead _& mock me! It'll be the _last _thing you do!", Kronis barked.

"_Really?_", Skeletor replies, rising up from his throne & walking down the steps to the floor. "I don't think you realize the situation out there! In your time behind the walls of Snake Mountain, you've grown _soft! _Ever since that _accursed _Mystic Wall was erected, the dark half of Eternia has been thrown into total, utter _chaos!_ Trade routes have been cut off, & food supplies are all but _scarce! _The Dark Hemisphere is being ravaged by war – even _more so _than before! Snake Mountain itself is under _constant _attack, yet you trivialize matters at hand with this petty dispute?! You make me _sick!_"

Kronis took all he could stand, & he was about to let his former leader know the bottom line.

"I have had _enough! _If _you _think I will _allow _myself to be _spoken_ to in such a manner, you're sadly mistak – _ugh!_", he was saying until a blast from Skeletor's Havoc Staff sent him slamming into a wall, leaving a crater as he sunk onto the floor.

"Beast Man! Whiplash! Take him out of my sight!", Skeletor ordered as said warriors grab Kronis & head for the large wooden doors that lead into the room while Skeletor addresses everyone. "A note, my warriors – Kronis is no longer _welcome _here! Let's see how long this fool lasts on his own – _without _the protection of Snake Mountain!"

Opening the doors, Beast Man & Whiplash toss Kronis out as he hits the ledge while the doors slam shut behind him. Getting up with a grunt, Kronis makes his way down to ground level, stumbling slightly.

"You haven't seen the last of _me_, Skeletor!", he grumbled. "I'll come back, & when I do, you'll _rue _the day you treated _me_ like such garbage! Just you _wait!_"

Kronis traveled through the land's rugged terrain for many hours until he caught his first glimpse of life.

"Eh?"

From behind high rock peers, a group of seven warriors emerged waiting in ambush as one of them – a young man with spiked brown hair & an eye with a colorless iris & scar right across – yelled out the order to attack. Three of these men flew down & ganged up on Kronis to bring him down with their numbers. But the blue-skinned warrior had fought off each by kicking one & tossing the other two into a rock before getting back on his feet.

"_Fools! _Do you know who I _am?!_", Kronis barked, poised for another fight.

"You are a _trespasser _in our territory!", said the leader of the group. "A soon-to-be _dead _trespasser!"

"Oh, I disagree!", Kronis said, leaping at two men & grabbing their helmets as he slams then to the ground just before he tosses them into the oncoming four behind him. Next, he goes after the leader himself by somersaulting in the air backwards & placing his feet into his chest, knocking him down on his back. Then he looks down on the fallen man & firmly makes a statement.

"Get this straight: this is _my _territory now! You & all your men take orders from _me! _Understand?!"

"Y-Yes sir", was all the disposed leader could say in a defeated tone.

Now the leader of seven men at his command, Kronis made his way to a camp by nightfall & sneaked their way towards & into the general's tent. With a knife, Kronis cut a gap & went inside, grabbed the still-sleeping general in his arms, covering his mouth & snapped his neck with a quick twist & a sick crack.

"Quickly, follow me", he whispered & exited the tent, dragging the body with him. When the guards at the entrance awoke abruptly, one of them sounded a horn & put the camp on alert. Some came out with weapons, but they all ceased as they witness Kronis holding the body of their leader with one hand.

Getting their full attention, Kronis speaks to the crowd.

"Listen up! I have sought you out because your general is known to be a _tyrant_, leading you into battle with little or no rest, costing many of you your lives! _His _reign of _terror _is _over! _I am Kronis! You follow _me _now! You are _my _army! Choose to follow me, & I promise you guaranteed victory over all that you face, & continued food & shelter! Choose _not _to follow me, & you will _die _like your general! So…_what _doyou choose?!"

The men's answer was immediate.

"_HAIL, KRONIS!_", they all shouted, bowing to their new leader.

Kronis' mouth became a huge grin.

It was only the beginning: weeks & weeks pass, with Kronis' army growing constantly as they battle & conquer all they encounter, accepting those who choose to join his army & slaughtering those who refuse while taking full advantage of their unique abilities. Kronis' ultimate goal was to amass an army of epic proportions, & he's reached that goal in no time, succeeding better than even he had first anticipated. Commanding this army with unmatched strength & deemed unbeatable gave Kronis the means to do what he's been itching for.

There was only _one _place in all the Dark Hemisphere for him to attack & conquer.

Snake Mountain – Skeletor's domain.

The Dark Prince of the Mystic Arts of course thought it was all a ruse to throw him off his game, even got a bit of a laugh over it – until Kronis gave the 'attack' order, & hordes of warriors he'd gathered weeks previously stormed the place, bashing & trashing many of the area's numerous skeletal warriors, both flesh & blood _and _those of walking skeletons wearing battle armor. Kronis & his massive army tore through them all with tooth, nail & whatever weapon he & his men had in their possession.

For a long while, the battle was fierce but going in Kronis' direction.

Until Skeletor himself intervened, blasting a horde of his men with a powerful strike from his Havoc Staff that knocked even Kronis for a loop. But the blue-skinned warrior was not so easily taken down: dodging Skeletor's havoc blasts & his armada of warriors, he makes it to the top of Snake Mountain's snake head where he finally gets his wish & meets the man he's eagerly awaited to take down for countless weeks.

"_You! Skeletor!_", Kronis bellowed, climbing up the side & getting his attention. "I've waited a _long time _for this!"

"Why Kronis, you're the _first _person I've met who _so _looked forward to _death!_", Skeletor barked, firing a beam from his staff.

"The only death _I'm _looking forward to is _yours!_", Kronis shouted back, dodging his blast & rushing his former boss. With a hardened tackle, he brings Skeletor to the ground which causes him to lose his Havoc Staff.

"_Today, you die!_", Kronis shouted, delivering a powerful left fist to Skeletor's bone face, followed by other powerful blows. But minus his staff doesn't mean that Skeletor is left defenseless: the magic courses not just through his staff but _himself_, & he uses that to his advantage as his own left hand lights up with energy, making contact with Kronis' face. The intense heat melts both his helmet & the flesh off his entire face, turning it a sickly green. Kronis cried out in pain as he takes a couple of steps back, placing his hands to his face & scorching them in the process.

"I'll…_kill_…_you_…!", Kronis says, his hands smoking as Skeletor chuckles.

"You can _try!_", he says, calling for his staff which he grabs with his left hand & aiming it at Kronis, blowing off his right shoulder harness & arm. Kronis fell to the ground on his back as Skeletor stood over him, his staff now aimed at his face.

"Tell me _again_, dear Kronis – _who_, exactly, is going to die today?", he teased. Kronis just looked at him with malice & scowled.

"_YOU!_", he bellowed, striking Skeletor with his right foot, causing his foe to step back & lose his staff again.

As Skeletor backed away several feet & recovered from the unexpected blow, Kronis – minus his right arm – got back up & rushed his enemy again, with Skeletor doing the same.

"You don't know when to _quit_, do you?!", he snapped.

Kronis was in striking distance, but it was Skeletor who acted first: along with his knowledge & possession of the mystic arts, he was also very adept at hand-to-hand combat when it was warranted. With a swift right fist, he had literally taken off Kronis' lower jaw & shattered it into many pieces. It was the blow that more or less took the fight out of him: Kronis sank to his knees as a trickle of blood ran down his neck & chest where his jaw should be. He was grabbed & held aloft by Skeletor's right hand as his left one called for his Havoc Staff, which soared straight into it.

"It's _over_, Kronis!", Skeletor said, holding his fallen foe over the edge. "See how your _pitiful _army will soon fall as easily to _my _forces as _you _have to _me!_ _Look _at them! Their numbers dwindle; most have _already _retreated! You have _failed _in your quest to conquer Snake Mountain, & now it will cost you your _life!_"

In a move that surprises Skeletor, Kronis' remaining arm feebly comes up to his shoulder, his hand shaking.

"Eh? What is _this?_", Skeletor wondered. "Now you beg for _mercy?! _Are you so afraid of _death_, Kronis?! You truly _are _a pathetic worm! I should _execute _you on the spot & put you out of your misery!"

Skeletor paused as if to consider his next move.

"However, you've _proven _that you can be an _asset _to me", he goes on. "I never would have _dreamed_ that you could amass such a large _army _as you did. You have _impressed _me on that, & for it…you will be _spared_."

From behind, Tri-Klops emerged out of a trap-door.

"Good news, Lord Skeletor! Kronis' army is completely defeated!", he reported.

"_Excellent!_", Skeletor replied, tossing Kronis over to the triple-eyed swordsman without looking his way. "I'll scan the area & clean up any _survivors_. Those who surrender to us shall become our _slaves_. In the meantime, dear Tri-Klops…see what you can do with that _mess _at your feet."

Skeletor heads off to his task as Tri-Klops looks down at Kronis' defeated form. The master swordsman grins wickedly.

"Come along, Kronis! I've got something special planned _just _for you!", he says with a laugh, picking up the jawless warrior & bringing him inside.

In the days that followed, Kronis was made over by Tri-Klops' vast knowledge of machinery & bionics, the blue-skinned warrior feeling every bit of pain that came with his 'new look', not being offered any anesthetic to dull the agony of it all. He was done a week later, & he stood in a private chamber in shadow with only a portion of his face being shown.

Evil-Lyn stood a few feet away with her own magical staff in hand.

"I can't _believe _you chose _this _over death!", she said, displeased. "I used to _respect _you, Kronis!"

Kronis stood in silence as Evil-Lyn went on.

"_How _could you come back to him after what he _did _to you? I never knew you as one to beg for your life…"

Evil-Lyn stopped herself short when she saw that Kronis wasn't paying her any heed.

"Oh, never mind", she said dismissively with a wave of her free hand & walked towards the exit. It was then that Kronis spoke that made her stop to listen.

"I think you misunderstood the situation, Evil-Lyn", he said. "I _wasn't_ 'begging for my life' back there. I was trying to _strangle _him with what strength I had left. As to _why_ I'm here now, there's a saying: 'Keep your friends close & your enemies closer'. _Let _Skeletor think I'm still one of his faithful cronies, then one the day when he least expects it…_that's _when I'll take him down for the count, _and _I'll make certain to _keep _him there! Oh, & one more thing, Evil-Lyn…the name isn't _Kronis _anymore."

He finally steps out of the shadows to reveal his new form to Skeletor's second-in-command: his jaw had been replaced with a red metal one that was equipped with pointed teeth & attached to his hinges & helmet. His left hand was covered with a gray metal one, & a black piece of chest armor covered most of his right side. His right arm was completely a bionic appendage with a claw at the end which holds a piece of metal that he snaps in two with ease.

"It's _Trapjaw _now!", he says, letting out a hearty laugh that echoed throughout the caverns of Snake Mountain.

Evil-Lyn allowed herself a smirk before joining in.

_Eternia, now:_

A beeping noise brought Trapjaw's mind back to the here & now, riding in a special Wind Raider that seated him, Battle Cat, Man-At-Arms & He-Man as they fly over the Sands of Fire. The latter two check their instruments for a readout of what it's picked up.

"Listen up, everyone: our radar's detected several objects just a few kilometers ahead!", Duncan said over the radio. "Judging from the readouts, it appears to be a cluster of nine!"

"Did you say…_nine?_", Trapjaw said, leaning forward to see the results for himself.

"We're getting the same thing on _our _scanners, father", Teela said from her own Wind Raider. "It seems like He-Man may have been correct all along about Skeletor being still alive."

"That's what _I _was thinking of myself, Teela", said Fisto. "_He's_ harder to get rid of than those pesky hatchlings Webstor once gave life to before the Snake Men feasted on them."

"_Just _our luck!", Ram Man said, none too pleased. "Probably waiting to _ambush _us once we get close enough! Well, I say we strike first in case they _do _have any dirty _tricks _up their ugly sleeves!"

"Yes & no, Ram Man", Man-At-Arms says. "All of you – keep your weapons at the ready, but don't attack just yet if we _do _spot them. Remember _why _we're searching for them, so let's see what _they _do first. Agreed?"

Replies of approval came from all as they head closer to their destination.

On a piece of rocky plateau in the Sands of Fire area, a group of six Griffins stood on four powerful legs with clawed feet, large bird-like wings, two pairs of green eyes & sharp yellow beaks, their bodies covered in thick brown fur. A one-man purple machine in the shape of a giant bird or bat rested several feet away. In the midst of this stood what He-Man firmly believed to be true.

Skeletor _was _alive & kicking, standing with Evil-Lyn, Tri-Klops, Mer-Man, Beast Man, Whiplash, Clawful & Two Bad. As always, Stinkor stood many feet away from both his group _and _the Griffins, so as not to disturb them with his horrible stench.

Seeing his boss still alive filled Trapjaw's heart with dread, all his bravado & hopes of being free of him gone like a wisp of smoke. And he can be sure that his minions will be even _less _happy to see _him_, once he explains what he's doing with their worst enemies.

"Let's put our Wind Raiders at a distance of thirty feet from Skeletor's group, Man-At-Arms", Man-E-Faces says. "And for the record, I _sincerely _hope we're doing the right thing."

"That makes _all _of us, Man-E, & it's an excellent suggestion", Duncan said. "We don't want to appear as _too _eager to start a fight, so we'll go with it."

Following He-Man's Wind Raider, the rest touch down on the plateau at the desired distance before getting out. From Skeletor's group, Beast Man, Clawful & Mer-Man give off a low growl in contempt until Skeletor lifts his hand in a gesture of ease. When He-Man & the Masters get to fifteen feet, they halt & hold their position.

"Looks like my hunch _was _accurate!", Tri-Klops said angrily at Trapjaw. "You _did _go to the Masters after all!"

"Let me guess: you've spilled the beans to them about our current plans, correct?", Evil-Lyn asked with an evil eye. Her hard, unhappy facial features were plastered on _all _of Skeletor's warriors, making Trapjaw's dread mount higher. When he gave no verbal answer to Evil-Lyn's question, the fear on his own face was all that was needed for one.

"Well?! Care to _explain _yourself, Trapjaw?!", Skeletor demanded, the disappointment & anger very clear on his face even with no flesh present as his eyes glow a bright red.

"_Please _forgive me, Lord Skeletor!", the cyborg warrior begged on his knees. "I knew that we needed to get help in dealing with the monster that nearly _killed _us, & I didn't know just who else to _turn _to for it!"

"Anyone but _them_, you _incompetent oaf!_", Skeletor screamed, pointing his Havoc Staff & firing a bolt.

Trapjaw cringed in fear as he raised his arms, waiting for the inevitable strike.

When the blast of blue-white energy came close, it struck with massive force as it always does – but this shot had been deflected.

At the last second, He-Man used the shield on his left forearm cuff to block & steer away Skeletor's blast which dissipated into thin air, leaving his shield smoking where it hit. Skeletor, Evil-Lyn & the rest of the evil warriors were stunned that Eternia's hero would protect someone as vile as Trapjaw. Their feelings on the scenario were shared by the Masters, being just as surprised.

"For _once _in his misbegotten life, Trapjaw did the _right _thing coming to us for help, Skeletor!", He-Man said. "Whether you admit it or not, Godzilla is as much a problem for _you _as he is for _us!_"

"'Godzilla'?", Skeletor & Evil-Lyn asked innocently like two kids who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"You two can drop the act!", Stratos said. "You _know _we're referring to the beast you cretins have summoned to Eternia, only to have him break loose from your control & nearly _obliterating_ the whole lot of you! That's _not _an experience one's likely to soon _forget_, wouldn't you agree?"

"And now, _because _of your incompetence, Godzilla's running rampant on the planet, threatening both friend & foe alike!", Mekaneck adds. "Don't tell us even _you _people are going to stand for _that!_"

"'Godzilla', huh? _I _was gonna call him 'Spiny'!", Beast Man jokes, letting out a boisterous guffaw for a few seconds before Skeletor delivers a blast from his Havoc Staff, knocking him backwards & off his feet. The humanoid beast slid to a stop twenty feet away.

"You find this _amusing_, do you, Beast Man?!", Skeletor snapped, his staff still smoking.

"_N-No! _I'm sorry, Skeletor, I…I wasn't thinking."

"_That's _no surprise", Evil-Lyn quipped softly. Being equipped with enhanced hearing, Beast Man still caught her words & growled lowly at her as he rose.

"Hey! That wasn't _funny_, Evil-Lyn!", he snapped at her.

"Actually, fur-face…that _was_", Skeletor said kindly before his voice rose harder. "Now be _silent!_"

Beast Man did as he was told & said nothing further as Evil-Lyn smirked in amusement & Skeletor turned to the Masters again – to one individual in particular.

"As for _you_, Trapjaw, _get _over here!", he barked. "Seeing you alongside with the Masters makes my _stomach _churn with disgust!"

Although afraid of suffering a painful blast from the Havoc Staff, Trapjaw nevertheless makes his way over to Skeletor's side; his arrival was being greeted by the scowling, disapproving faces of his peers & colleagues.

"Now, Masters…I assume there's a _point _to all of your bickering?", Skeletor asked mockingly.

"I believe it should be obvious – even to an actual _bonehead _such as _you_, Skeletor – that Godzilla is a danger to _both _of our sides, & everyone else on the planet", He-Man said. "And unless we _all _band together against him, _no one _on Eternia will be safe."

"Are you suggesting we join forces in order to repel this 'Godzilla' creature?"

Man-E-Faces reverts to his green monster face with a growling hiss.

"Of course, if you snakes wish to take on Godzilla a second time by yourselves & be _killed _in the process, that's fine by _us!_", he says. "And believe me when I say that _nobody_ here will be attending your _funerals!_"

Ignoring Man-E-Faces' sarcastic remark, Skeletor ponders on the idea for a moment or two, which is already rejected by most of his warriors.

"Don't even _think _about going down that road, boss!", Whiplash barks.

Skeletor turned to face his lizard-like warrior, & was greeted by a most unexpected sight. He finds not only the fugitive Caligar pointing his weapon – a trident-like staff – at him, but also the others doing the same. Even Evil-Lyn had her staff lit up & ready to fire.

"Joining forces with the Masters is the _last _thing I would do!", Mer-Man said firmly.

"Teaming with enemies – bad idea!", Two Bad's Baddhra said.

"Even more than doing so with _us!_", his Tuvar head replied.

"_Whose _side are you on, anyway?!", Beast Man snapped.

"Yeah, even _I'm _not _that _dumb!", Clawful said, freely admitting his own stupidity.

"Evil does _not _join forces with _good!_", Stinkor said from his vantage point, being able to hear a conversation from afar thanks to a device from Tri-Klops he designed for his ear.

"It's _madness_, Skeletor! Do not even _consider _it!", the triple-eyes swordsman said.

"If you agree to an alliance with the Masters, then _you're _an even _bigger _fool than Trapjaw!", Evil-Lyn tells her skull-faced leader boldly.

Skeletor faced his warriors with no hint of fear. Out of all of them, only Trapjaw didn't arm himself with his blaster weapon & aim it at him, as it was clear that _he _was the only one who _did _think an alliance with their loathing enemies was a good idea.

Or _was _he?

Skeletor turned to the Masters.

"Might I have a moment with my warriors, if you please?", he asked with surprising politeness.

"No tricks", He-Man warned him, putting him & his friends on high alert.

"Oh, you have my _word_", Skeletor replied, gesturing his people close into a huddle. Evil-Lyn & the others eye one another cautiously before doing as he commanded, if reluctantly. Stinkor hears everything said, keeping quiet as their conversation goes on.

"Come now, my warriors", Skeletor said in a low voice. "I don't blame _any _of you for feeling disgusted in this idea by those accursed Masters in joining forces. _I _find the concept of it all _just _as loathsome. But while it galls me to admit it, He-Man is _right: _Godzilla _is _as much _our _threat as he is theirs. And we _barely _survived that day when he broke free from & attacked us. _I_, for one, do _not _wish for a repeat of that incident. But there _is _an upside to it all."

"How so?", asked Whiplash.

"Well, _when _the time comes to destroying Godzilla or getting him off the planet…who's to say we can't do the same with _He-Man _in the process? Think about _that_."

And think about it they _do_, as it took only a second or two. Big grins came upon each of their faces, including Trapjaw's. Their smiles tell all of their approval of the plan.

"A double-play, huh? Can't argue with _that _kind of logic", Tri-Klops said.

"Indeed", said Evil-Lyn. "Two for the price of one. In spite of the trouble he's caused us, maybe summoning Godzilla _wasn't _such a bad idea after all."

"All right, Skeletor. We're _all _game", said Mer-Man, getting nods from the rest.

"Very good then. Trapjaw", Skeletor says, turning to him. "We'll forgive your insubordination – _this _time!"

"M-Much obliged, Skeletor", the cyborg warrior said as they all break their huddle & their leader turns to He-Man.

"So…have you decided?", Eternia's hero asked.

"We have, & we _accept _your offer", Skeletor says, approaching casually as He-Man does the same. "Until this Godzilla creature is no longer a problem for Eternia, our forces shall stay combined. Let's…shake on it."

Still staying on high alert, He-Man puts his hand out as Skeletor takes it in his. A little reluctant, of course, but it actually does happen. But just because the Heroic Masters & Evil Warriors are at an uneasy truce for right now, not everyone is comfortable about the allegiance, however direly necessary it is.

"Even though circumstances have forced this alliance, Man-At-Arms, can we _really _trust them?", asked Ram Man.

"I'm with Rammy on _this _one, bro", Fisto said. "I'd much rather prefer to stuff King Hssss down my shirt & trust him not to _bite _me!"

"And even if we _are _successful in getting rid of Godzilla, they'll be back to their old tricks again!", said Teela.

"I understand how you & the others feel about this", Duncan said. "Believe me, He-Man & myself aren't too thrilled about it ourselves. But as long as Godzilla poses a massive threat to Eternia, there really seems to be no other alternative. So, as of right now…we _need _to trust them, & vice versa."

Knowing Man-At-Arms was right, they nod their heads despite their personal feelings.

"Even so, I'm _still _going to keep a _very _close eye on them!", Mekaneck said, getting his say in.

"_That _goes without saying!" That from Man-E-Faces, still displaying his monster face.

"Indeed it does, gentlemen", Sy-Klone said. "Although we're at a truce with Skeletor's vile band, we _will _be keeping them under surveillance. 'Keep your friends close, & your enemies closer', as they say."

Nobody disagreed with the one-time guardian of Anwat Gar: that phrase has never been more true than on this assignment, as people like Skeletor or _any _of his warriors would stab them in the back first chance they get. They each know that fact like they do their own names, & vow to be ready for it when the time comes.

"So, He-Man", Skeletor says, getting down to business. "Now that we've formed this temporary alliance, how _do _you propose we expel Godzilla from our home?"

"Well, we first have to _find _him, of course", Eternia's champion said. "Which won't be as easy as we think – it's a pretty big world for Godzilla to go & hide in."

"Not unless we have a specific way of tracking him down", Tri-Klops said. "Shortly after Godzilla's attack on us back at Snake Mountain, I located a piece of his flesh for analysis & fed the data to my Doomseekers. Tuned in to his DNA, Godzilla won't be able to stay hidden for long."

"That could work, Tri-Klops", said Man-At-Arms. "How long ago _did _you send them out?"

"Since this morning. I've instructed them to return & report upon first sighting of him. Should all go well, we could be getting a response as soon as…"

As luck would have it, one of Tri-Klops' Doomseekers floated down to the group, going directly to Tri-Klops as they usually do. They were silver spheres in the shape of a bird's head, complete with miniature beak, eyes, wings & rear fin. A small antennae sprouted on top.

"Ah, it seems one of your little scouts have located the beast already, Tri-Klops", Skeletor says. "Let's have a visual on his position, shall we?"

"You heard the man. Report!", Tri-Klops commanded the floating device.

The sphere's eyes light up & gives a holographic map of the area where Godzilla is allegedly located in a circle which is displayed in mid-air for all to see. It shows everyone's current position at the Sands of Fire, along with Godzilla's: his location is not far off from where they stand, traveling northwest in a straight line at the Harmony Sea, a red dotted line showing his route.

"According to that map, Godzilla's heading straight for the Sands of Time", Mekaneck said, his neck extended some for a better view. Gathering the information, he retracts his appendage.

"Precisely where we _want _him to be!", Mer-Man said with glee. "Our first two Super-Beasts can take him down with ease!"

"Meaning the ones you _do _have under your control", Teela says, not a question.

"Exactly", Evil-Lyn confirmed. "And just in case Godzilla's lucky enough to defeat either or _both _of our first two monsters, there'll be three others waiting in the wings to take him down!"

"Fight fire _with _fire!", Two Bad's Baddhra said.

"Or in _this _case, size with size!", the Tuvar head spoke.

"_Now _you're talking sense", Sy-Klone said. "In order to take down a massive object, you'll need something of equal or _greater _mass to do it."

"And that's where _our _Super-Beasts come in!", Whiplash said proudly.

"That could work", said Stratos. "Since neither of our teams are capable of bringing Godzilla down, we _can _use Skeletor's own Super-Beasts to do the job for us. And since he's already heading in the direction of the first two…"

"Then we'd better get ourselves ahead of Godzilla & reach there first!", Fisto said.

"You're right, Fisto!", said Buzz-Off. "If there are any villages nearby with people in that vicinity, they'll need to be evacuated first!"

"You may not want to rush off just yet, bee-man", Trapjaw said. "There's more to this than you might think."

"Save it, Trapjaw! Just because we're _joined up _with your bunch, it _doesn't _mean we're sinking down to your level & letting innocent people getting hurt or worse!"

"You may want to heed Trapjaw's words, Andreenid", Tri-Klops warned him. "The area in the Sands of Time where Godzilla's going isn't the _only _place where we have our Super-Beasts hidden at."

"You've placed your overgrown pets all over the planet?", Ram Man asked.

"In a manner of speaking", Evil-Lyn said, smiling. "It isn't wise to have all of your eggs put inside one basket, don't you know."

He-Man & Man-At-Arms gave the matter some thought until the former spoke.

"Then we'll split up into groups & head for those areas immediately. Skeletor, we'll need the locations of your other three Super-Beasts, if you please."

"As you wish, He-Man", he said. "Gather around, one & all."

At He-Man's approval, everyone except Stinkor came in close as Eternia's champion & its most vile sorcerer laid out all the details, from the location of Skeletor's Super-Beasts to He-Man's suggestions for groups to attend at each area where the creatures have been placed, ready & waiting.

Everyone listened intently, absorbing all the details.

**CHAPTER VI**

_The Sands of Time, off the Sea of Rakash:_

Once everything was squared away, from the location of Skeletor's Super-Beasts to He-Man's suggested teams, everybody in He-Man's Heroic Masters & Skeletor's Evil Warriors all headed for their transports – Wind Raiders & Griffins – and raced to their assigned destinations. The first group consisted of the Masters' Teela, Mekaneck, Man-E-Faces, Sy-Klone, Ram Man & Fisto, along with Trapjaw, Clawful, Mer-Man, Two Bad, Whiplash & Stinkor. Their path took them across the Sands of Time, finding nothing _but _sand dunes for the most part. It was only when they approached the Sea of Rakash did they encounter a village near the water.

It was very familiar to the Masters: this village was the same as when Mer-Man's fish monster came upon land & attacked when it swallowed the coridite crystal, long believed destroyed when the Mystic Wall came down, & was mutated into a larger beast before being stopped at Castle Grayskull. While the village suffered massive damage from the monster's attack, no casualties were reported due to their swift evacuation.

Now they'll have to be evacuated again for the second time due to Godzilla's advance, whom they'd spotted along the way going across the terrain, traveling faster than his great size would allow.

Because of this fact, the Masters would have to work faster in getting the people to safety before his imminent arrival & that of Skeletor's first two Super-Beasts. As Mekaneck, Fisto, Man-E-Faces & Sy-Klone worked on taking civilians to safety, Clawful, Mer-Man, Teela & Ram Man went into the Sea of Rakash, the latter two wearing built-in diving suits to enable them to breathe underwater like Clawful & Mer-Man, who of course can do so unaided.

Trapjaw, Whiplash & Two Bad leaned against a wall with their arms crossed, with Stinkor acting as lookout at the village's edge.

"You know, you three guys _could _lend us a hand in getting these people to safety!", Man-E-Faces said, his face back to his human one. "It'd make our job a whole lot easier!"

"Sorry, but helping civilians was never on _our _part of the job description!", Trapjaw said with a grin. "We don't 'play' the hero bit too well anyhow!"

"Besides, you guys are doing exceptionallywell _without _our help!", Whiplash adds, sharing a chuckle with Trapjaw & Two Bad.

Man-E-Faces & Fisto wanted nothing more than to send their fists, regular & over-sized, down all their throats for their childishly cruel & teasing remark, truce or not. Sy-Klone stepped in to defuse the tension before it could go & escalate out of control & tempers flare.

"Let it go, gentlemen", he said calmly. "Let's try to remember as to _why _we're partnered with Skeletor's men in the first place."

The tri-faced & large right-fisted Masters of the Universe nodded almost absent-mindedly to their companion, getting their rage simmered down before it could explode. Godzilla was more of a threat than possibly _all _of He-Man _and _Skeletor's forces combined, & while magic _does _seem to hurt him, it doesn't _stop_ him: it was a hard fact already proven to Skeletor, Evil-Lyn & Count Marzo when they tried to use their own in trying to subdue the monster, with disastrous results. They doubted that even Castle Grayskull's Sorceress or the Mystic Mountain's Cosmic Enforcer Zodak would be able to beat Godzilla, powerful as they are.

And King Hssss & his dreaded Snake Men? Even _they _would possibly tremble under the creature's tremendous power as most everyone else did. Not that any tears would be shed: King Hssss & his vile snakes were the worst of the worst Eternia had to offer, trouncing even Skeletor & his warriors when they briefly took over Snake Mountain of which once _belonged _to King Hssss long before Skeletor seized it as his own. As an inside joke, Man-E-Faces & Fisto wished Godzilla _had _gone up against the Snake Men: they'd be wiped out in almost no time & reduced to ashes from his mouth's heat ray.

_I sure would've paid big money just to see _that _happening!_, Fisto thought.

Releasing his daydreams & getting back to reality, Fisto & Man-E-Faces resumed their tasks, regardless of the absence of Skeletor's men lending a hand. Buzz-Off said they weren't going to stoop to their level, & they want to make sure the Andreenid's statement stayed true, despite their methods _or _insults.

On the outskirts of the village, Stinkor kept a sharp lookout for their oncoming target, his stench covering him like a blanket. Luckily, there was no one else in his immediate vicinity to be repulsed by his horrid scent, & those that _did _see him stayed clear out of his way. Even his own Evil Warrior companions avoid him as best they can, in spite of being on the same side & his offers to help them in whatever way he can. But Stinkor – formerly Odiphus – has made himself a warrior in his own right since being in that 'accident' in Tri-Klops' lab that transformed him from a little Pelleezeean to a large, foul-smelling fighter of evil., his fur color equivalent to that of an Earth skunk.

Being on the side of Skeletor was a dream come true for Stinkor.

He just never thought he'd be fighting _with _the Heroic Masters rather than against them.

But he fears Godzilla as much as anyone he's with, & even his foul stench had no effect on the Monster King in taking him down on the day he got free. The sooner Godzilla was killed or removed from Eternia, the better. And if he must team up with the Masters to be rid of the one that got away, then so be it.

For two hours now, Stinkor saw nothing but open sand everywhere he looked without so much as a lizard or even an insect scampering by. He was about to give up on being lookout when he caught movement over on the far horizon. Taking a closer look into his binoculars, Stinkor saw a familiar head pop up that got more clear with every passing second. When it became fully visible in his vision, Stinkor's heart raced & his eyes widened further.

"Uh-oh!", he said dreadfully, getting onto his com-unit.

The com-units on Stinkor's comrades beeped, & it was Trapjaw who answered first.

"Hey stink-face! Got anything to report?", he asks.

"_Yeah, Stinkor got something to report, all right!_", his voice came over the unit for all to hear.

"Well, don't be shy about it! What do you see?"

"_Uh…Stinkor see Godzilla coming up out of horizon & making his way towards here!_"

Now it was the hearts of the Masters that were racing. With his bionic neck, Mekaneck extended it up high above the village for a better view. Using his telescopic vision, Mekaneck magnifies the scene several times until he gets a good sight of Godzilla coming towards them, his head & neck already in full view.

"Hey, stretch-neck! Was the skunk right?", Fisto asked as Mekaneck's appendage retracted into his body.

"He certainly _is_, Fisto!", he said. "According to the speed he's traveling at, Godzilla will be here in about less than an hour's time!"

"_Let _monster come! We _ready _this time!", Two Bad's Baddhra said.

"Yeah, time for some serious payback on Godzilla – with a little help from Pincer!", the Tuvar head replied.

"Pincer?", Sy-Klone asked, wondering.

"He's the name of the Super-Beast we got buried underneath the sand here!", Whiplash explains. "Clawful gave him the name himself for very good reason, & you're going to see _why _very soon!"

Small tremors caused by Godzilla's footsteps made the Masters more wary of the danger.

"Come on! We'd better step it up with the evacuation before Godzilla gets _too _close!", Man-E-Faces suggested.

"Fortunately, we're just about _done _with it, so let's not waste any more time gabbing!", Fisto said, getting nods from his Masters comrades. The heroes get more determined to lead the people out of the village which was soon to become a battlefield. From out in the sands, Godzilla made wide, thunderous steps that shook as he came ever closer towards the village, the tremors getting stronger with every step he takes. Stinkor put some distance between himself & the Monster King, but even so, Godzilla was a massive creature to his eyes which were as fearful as ever.

_Please don't smell me, please don't smell me, please don't smell me…_, Stinkor thought, hoping he's put enough distance from the passing saurian to prevent his senses from sniffing him out & finish what they'd started over at Snake Mountain.

If Godzilla _has _gotten so much as a whiff of the skunk-warrior's stench, he didn't acknowledge it.

Which was lucky for Stinkor, because Godzilla sensed something _else _in the immediate vicinity to pay him any mind. He reaches the outskirts of the village in under an hour, which was now totally deserted except for the four Masters & Skeletor's warriors they've been partnered with. They survey the scene at this point as Godzilla was now only a few steps from reaching the village, with some structures weakened by the tremors caused. A feeling of dread washes over each one.

"Gentlemen, if your 'Pincer' _is _in the immediate vicinity, I'd say now would be a very good time to have him deployed", Sy-Klone says.

"Then hold onto those pretty little rings of yours, wind-man, because here he comes!", Trapjaw said, switching his hook into his blaster which he starts firing out into the sands at a specific spot. Instead of laser shots, the cyborg warrior fires a volley of supersonic wave rings with a high-pitched tone, causing even his comrades to cover their ears in disdain. Luckily, it lasts for only a few seconds before Trapjaw ceases its flow as the spot he fired at sputters sand & dirt into the air like a mini fountain or volcano that became more of an actual eruption, creating a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, the warriors saw a gigantic dark-brown, sharp-toothed claw sticking up from the ground that opened & closed with a snapping click three times. Another eruption of earth came forth, creating an even bigger dust cloud which covered a good portion of the area. When it was gone, the rest of what was attached to the giant claw stood in full view of Pincer in all his glory.

Even Godzilla stopped his approach to look over the monstrosity that was 90 feet away. Standing about a meter or two taller than the Monster King, Pincer was dark-brown all over & stood on two powerful legs. His body had a hard exoskeleton like an insect's, & a shell covering his back. His long tail was segmented & ended with a pair of pincers, which he also had on both his feet & hands at the end of his forearms. Pincer's head was more or less shaped like that of a bulldog ant's, with multifaceted eyes, a pair of pointed antennae & pincers for his mouth, which were as long & thick as the others.

"Wow!", Fisto said. "You were _right_, Caligarian! Clawful _did _name this monster correctly!"

"Come. We'd better get ourselves to a safer distance as the villagers have", Sy-Klone suggests.

"We not argue with _that!_", Two Bad's Baddhra said, getting nods from Tuvar & the rest.

As the Heroic Masters & Evil Warriors all seek shelter away from the towering behemoths, Pincer & Godzilla stare at each other in curiosity. Pincer raised his right claw & let out his roar – a medium-pitched gurgling sound that Godzilla took as an answer to his challenge, giving a roar of his own.

The battle was underway!

Pincer raises both his claw hands & clicks them menacingly. Godzilla responds to the gesture by lighting up his rear dorsal spines & cuts loose with the release of his atomic ray. Immediately Pincer turns 180 degrees, his back to his enemy as the beam of intense heat hits & gets deflected by his shell, raising it skywards & inflicting no damage. Surprised by this maneuver, the Monster King fires again, only to achieve the same results.

But Godzilla fights with _more _than just his atomic ray, as Pincer is about to find out.

Ceasing his beam, Godzilla rushes forward at his foe, whose back is still turned to him, unmoving. The Monster King slams his entire weight into his insect-like enemy. To his amazement, Pincer stood his ground & remained where he was, being moved only a few inches & acting like he didn't even _feel _Godzilla behind him. Shaking off the numbness from hitting Pincer's shell at full force, Godzilla continues hitting & pounding on his foe's hard shell with his bare hands repeatedly, hoping to find a weak spot and/or make even the slightest crack on it anywhere, but the attempt was futile. No matter how hard he tried, Godzilla cannot begin to make even the slightest hint of damage to the giant beetle-like beast, oblivious to the Monster King's ruthless hammering.

Unbeknownst to the Monster King, Pincer slyly & swiftly places his tail between him & Godzilla, grabbing the mutant dinosaur by his neck with the claw on his snake-like appendage. Godzilla lets out a yelp in surprise as the teeth on the claw dig into his flesh, drawing blood. Then, with a speed that would be deemed scientifically impossible for a creature so huge, Pincer whips his tail around, sending Godzilla with it & slamming him into the sand, kicking up waves of earth. The impact shatters & crumbles many structures in the village, turning the area into a shamble of a place instead of a peaceful resort.

"Haven't these poor people suffered enough when Mer-Man's fish monster attacked, for crying out loud?", says Mekaneck as he surveys the damage from afar with his team.

"I know how you feel, Mekaneck, but it can't be helped", Man-E-Faces said. "At least we got them out in the nick of time, or else the bodies would've started piling up beneath all that rubble."

"At least", was all Mekaneck could say as Pincer & Godzilla exchange roars.

"I have to admit – you fellas at Snake Mountain sure know how to _pick _'em!", Fisto said.

"That we _do!_", Two Bad's Tuvar head says. "Pincer's going to snip Godzilla up into little bite-size pieces, just you _wait!_"

"Head will make nice _trophy!_", said the Baddhra head. The two halves smile, laugh & give each other a high-five.

Fisto, Mekaneck, Sy-Klone & Man-E-Faces look at each other with the utmost concern. For once, they don't feel as confident as their 'partners' currently do, which is usually the opposite. When their foes have more of it than they do, it's never a good sign: a quick stab in the back is what could be expected if their Pincer beast succeeds to get rid of Godzilla by killing him, & so far it's doing a grand job, thrashing the Monster King into the ground while being clung by the neck with his tail.

They stay on the alert more than ever for the inevitable double-cross.

His vice-like grip still on Godzilla, Pincer lifts the mutant dinosaur up & swings him into several more of the village's buildings, pulverizing them to rubble. Godzilla frantically tries to pry the claw off his neck, but its grip was un-removable even with his great strength. Much to his surprise, Pincer releases his hold on Godzilla, but it didn't mean he was done with him: before the Monster King can get his bearings, Pincer grans him by the neck again, only now it was with his mouth. Godzilla yelped again as he was forced up on his feet, with Pincer snapping his remaining appendages on the saurian's own: his hand claws get ahold of his wrists, the feet grab his ankles, & his tail snatching his in the middle.

With all of his limbs snatched & squeezed, the Monster King struggled to break loose from the large beetle-like beast, but Pincer's claws act like fishhooks, digging into Godzilla's flesh & drawing blood where the teeth puncture. All of Pincer's claws keep a firm hold on Godzilla, making him more desperate than ever to get his enemy off as the scene looks like the two monsters are sharing a waltz together, albeit a quick, violent & hateful one.

Try as he may, Godzilla could not get Pincer to let go by show of force, what with his limbs at the beetle-like beast's mercy. Their tumbling gets into the village's center, razing & bringing down structures still standing as each of the warriors run to safer quarters, avoiding debris that gets thrown their way. Godzilla knows he's in big trouble, & unless he can get his enemy off, Two Bad's prediction of his head becoming a trophy _will _come true.

Despite the pressure on his neck being great, Godzilla musters his strength to light up his spines & mouth that he fires into Pincer's face. Being at point-blank range, the beetle-beast's eyes get scorched as he roars out in anguish, thereby finally releasing his hold on Godzilla everywhere. The intense heat has melted Pincer's eyes & blinded him, causing him to thrash around madly, swinging his tail & arms in hopes of finding his quarry. He finds him, all right, when Godzilla grabs his tail & swings him above his head & down to the ground with sledgehammer force, shaking the area with great intensity & crumbling the rest of the village down to its foundation as he does it repeatedly.

Godzilla returns the punishment done to him in spades.

Seeing the turn of events, the Masters were more skeptical than before, despite the reassurance of Skeletor's men.

"It seems like your _Pincer's _going to be the one made into bite-sized pieces rather than Godzilla!", Fisto said.

"Or maybe even _shattered _into them!", Man-E-Faces said in his monster face.

"I-I know it _looks _bad, but don't you worry!", Whiplash assures. "Pincer's not done with him _yet! _He still has a few more tricks up his sleeve, & he'll _beat _Godzilla – you'll see!"

Whiplash was half-right: the beetle-like beast _does _have another trick or two to help him overcome Godzilla. Despite his blindness, Pincer was far from helpless: his tail claw manages to grab hold Godzilla's left arm, causing him to cry out. Being assured he has his enemy in hand, Pincer began digging himself into the ground, burrowing like an earthworm or groundhog – taking Godzilla with him!

Like being caught in a powerful vacuum, the Monster King is dragged into the ground by Pincer, beginning with his head, followed by everything else. Only his tail was left visible until that, too, was gone in seconds. Once the monsters were out of sight, the ground under their feet rumbled like an empty stomach. Any building in the village that wasn't brought down before got shaken apart, & even the Heroic Masters & Evil Warriors fought to keep their balance as they stay clear of falling debris.

"If only we knew what was going _on _under there!", Trapjaw wished.

Sy-Klone took the cyborg warrior's advice into consideration, agreeing with him on it as he turned to Man-E.

"How about it? Are you able to pick them up under all that earth?", he asked him.

Man-E-Faces switched from his monster face to his robot one.

"Unable to pick up life forms of either Pincer _or _Godzilla", he says in a mechanized voice. "There is no way to tell who is winning."

"Maybe you won't _have _to, Man-E – I _see _something!", Mekaneck says, pointing towards a newly-formed geyser of dirt & sand which creates a dust cloud & more tremors. When both cease, they see what Mekaneck referred to – Pincer's head sticking out of the ground.

"Ha! What did I _tell _you? Pincer is _triumphant!_", Whiplash gleefully says.

"Wait. There is something more", Man-E-Robot announced. Another fountain of dirt & sand spat up from below, covering Godzilla's emergence until he is halfway out of the hole Pincer dragged him into. The Monster King brought up something that was not-too-pleasing to the warriors as he rose to his full height: he held the dismembered _head _of Pincer in one hand, his lifeless body in the other.

"You were _saying_, Caligarian?", Sy-Klone quipped, staring over at Whiplash, who shares a look of shock with Trapjaw. Two Bad's heads do the same.

His enemy defeated, Godzilla drops Pincer's head & lifeless body to the ground, each landing with sick thuds.

He then lets out a roar of approval, letting all know who has won.

Teela's voice comes over her Masters' radios.

"_This is Teela! Is everyone all right over there?_"

"We're okay, Teela", answered Mekaneck. "I only wish we could say the same for the village – _and _Pincer."

"_Yeah, I can see that. What about the people? Are they safe at least?_"

"You can rest assured, Teela, they've been evacuated long before the chaos ensued", said Sy-Klone. "Where are you & your team now – down at the beach?"

"_Yes. I've just stepped out, with Ram Man, Clawful & Mer-Man being right behind._"

"Have your group stay there, sweetheart. We're coming over to you", Fisto says.

"_Understood, uncle. Teela out._"

As one, the eight warriors scramble over to the beach to join up with Teela's team.

Man-At-Arms' daughter deactivates both her com-unit & diving suit, dropping the latter onto the sandy beach as it collapses onto itself into a more compact form. Ram Man does the same with his own once he's fully out of the water, surveying the damage done to the village & what remained of Pincer.

"Whoa! Talk about losing your head!", Ram Man said.

Despite the less-than-humorous situation, Teela couldn't help but crack a little smile from his remark, with Ram Man doing the same.

The reactions from Clawful & Mer-Man, however, were just the opposite.

"Aww, Pincer _failed_", Clawful sulks, his arms & shoulders in a slump to match his mood.

"Don't worry, Clawful", Mer-Man reassures him. "Our _next_ Super-Beast will _more _than compensate for his failure, & he's due to arrive at _any _moment now!"

This perked the hulking crab-warrior up, & his face lit up with a nod of his head.

The rest of their party gets to the beach moments later, with Man-E-Faces reverting back to his human face.

"Good to see _you _guys again, figuratively speaking, of course", he tells Teela.

"Of course", she replied. "The villagers – where'd you take them to?"

"We've sent them to some caves not far from their homes, instructing them to remain there until this danger passed", Fisto answered as Teela nodded.

"So Mer-Man, did you get _your _creature from beneath the drink?", asked Trapjaw.

"Indeed we did, & here he comes _now!_", the aquatic warrior says as the water 100 feet out of the Sea of Rakash churns & bubbles, getting closer to shore. At 50 feet, a large reptilian head with two earlike fins on the sides & twin spiked horns on top broke through the surface, its snake-like eyes peering with malevolence. The creature's form was clearer the more it ascended out of the water & onto the shore, becoming fully visible in two minutes from top to bottom. The beast was a dark seaweed green in color like Mer-Man himself, & stood taller than Godzilla by about five meters. Its head was supported by a short thick neck, & its mouth was filled with sharp teeth. A pair of strong legs held its body upright, & its clawed feet were webbed which enabled for swimming with ease. A dinosaurian tail ended in a shark-like fin, but its most unusual feature were the three pairs of squid-like tentacles where arms would normally be, each one sporting suckers. These wriggle like snakes as the beast let out a roar that was exactly like Mer-Man's fish beast that once swallowed the coridite crystal.

Godzilla answered its call with a roar of his own.

Mer-Man raised his three-pronged trident at this new creature.

"Aquadon! Your enemy, Godzilla, lies ahead!", he bellowed. "Your orders are to attack & vanquish him off the face of Eternia! _GO!_"

As Mer-Man gave the order, his trident lights up at the points & glows, followed by Aquadon's eyes which do the same. Being under his complete control, Aquadon bellows another roar in answer to his command just as Godzilla responds, coming after his new challenger as he does.

"Let's clear out & give these two some room to maneuver, shall we?", Mer-Man suggested.

"This is _one _time we're _not_ going to arguewith you!", said Teela, taking his advice as they gladly make the beach area devoid of their presence & head for high rocks many yards away. Godzilla gets to 40 meters of Aquadon before the aquatic dinosaur beast abruptly shoots a stream of water from his mouth at the Monster King, hitting him in his chest & stomach as he gets knocked back many meters.

It scorches his flesh because _this _water stream is boiling _hot!_

Godzilla, unprepared for this assault, cries out in pain & gets back up onto his feet, both his chest & stomach smoking. Aquadon launches a second stream of his projectile weapon, but Godzilla was more prepared this time & fires his own beam. The two rays strike one another dead-center between both combatants, with neither gaining the upper hand over the other. Only seconds after they hit, the middle of their beam scuffle explodes in a large thick cloud of hot steam that envelopes both monsters from view.

Unfortunately, it _also _engulfs the Heroic Masters & Evil Warriors, & the results were not pleasant as they begin to cough & gasp in the thick soup.

"Aagh! Can't see _anything _in pea soup!", Two Bad's Baddhra said, his eyes stinging.

"And we can't _breathe_, either! Somebody _do something!_", the Tuvar head pleaded, straining through coughs to get the words out.

"Everyone, hold tight!", Sy-Klone announced, stretching his arms out & upward to the sky. He swiftly rotates them as powerful streams of wind act like a vacuum which sucks up & re-directs the steam skywards away from the battlefield. Even amid the rumbling & shaking of the ground by Aquadon & Godzilla, Sy-Klone was able to clear the area of the sultry mist before any permanent damage can be done, the warriors all taking in fresh breaths of air even before it's all dissipated.

"_That _ought to do it!", Sy-Klone said, ceasing his arms & bringing them down. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah…although I may have lost a few _pounds _in that steam bath!", Ram Man joked.

"You weren't the _only _one!", Whiplash said. Strangely enough, both warriors share a bashful smile.

"That's _better!_", Trapjaw quips. "Any longer in that sauna, & I probably might've _rusted!_"

"Y-Yeah, & _I _would've been boiled alive like a…a _crab!_", Clawful said.

"But you _are _a crab, Clawful", Man-E-Faces reminds him.

"Oh…yeah", the crab warrior said, embarrassed & sulking.

"Thanks, Sy-Klone. That was a bit too hot for _my _tastes", Teela said, her eyes starting to adjust. "How's the brawl going so far?"

"See for yourself, Teela", the wind warrior says.

Like everyone else, Teela's eyesight returned to normal & saw Godzilla getting behind Aquadon & slamming him facedown onto the beach, grabbing almost all of his squirming tentacles in his hands & mouth & holding them firmly. The last two free ones were used to heavily slap Godzilla in the face & head to confuse & disorient him, but the Monster King ignored the stinging blows, keeping his enemy down & beating him from behind with his free hand.

"Huh! Some Super-Beast _he _is, fish-face!", Fisto scorned. "Godzilla's got him on the _ropes!_"

"That's 'Mer-Man' to _you_, mister!", the aquatic warrior snapped. "And don't you worry about or underestimate Aquadon! He's _far _from finished!"

"I'll believe _that _when I _see _it!"

"And so you _shall!_"

Realizing his tentacles aren't helping in getting Godzilla off his back, Aquadon tried a different tactic: swinging his tail forward, the shark fin at the end jabs the Monster King in his left side, making him yelp in pain & abandon his position, thus releasing his adversary as he staggered back. Free from Godzilla's hold on him, Aquadon whipped his tentacles around Godzilla's tail, refusing to give him a chance to strike back. Not that Godzilla _could:_ the puncture in his left side that Aquadon gave him was bad, bleeding heavily & causing him to lose strength. With a speed that belied his great size, Aquadon lifts Godzilla in the air over his shoulder & slams him into the soft sandy beach like he was nothing but a sack of potatoes, shaking the area with a tremendous shockwave. With even more force than when Pincer did, Aquadon slammed a weakened Godzilla a dozen more times before releasing him. The Monster King got up sluggishly, his vision blurry & his head spinning.

Aquadon still wasn't finished with him yet: the aquatic dinosaur beast lets loose with another water spray from his mouth, aiming it directly at Godzilla's deep puncture wound. The mutant dinosaur bellowed in great agony, the wound feeling like someone's poured rubbing alcohol onto it. His cry of anguish echoed all over, stinging the ears of those who heard it. His pain made him open to attack as Aquadon slashed with his tentacles as Godzilla went down.

Because of his wounds & Aquadon's violent thrashing, Godzilla was in no shape to avoid the monster's second attack: due to the lack of speed, the saurian was wrapped by his enemy's tentacles as they grab his arms, legs, neck & mouth, grasping each limb tightly. Godzilla tried getting himself free, but his ebbing strength made it impossible. He couldn't even lift his tail up more than a few meters before placing it back down. In a last-ditch effort, the Monster King lights up his dorsal spines & try to fire his heat ray, but at that moment Aquadon's tentacles started shining a yellowish light which douses Godzilla's own, both spines _and _mouth. The extinguishing of his flame was only the beginning: Godzilla was getting weaker by the second, his energy waning away as he felt his consciousness slipping.

Before long, he was on his knees.

"Look at what's happening to Godzilla!", Ram Man says, pointing.

"It seems to me like he's…getting _weaker!_", Teela surmised.

"That is _precisely _what he's doing, girlie!", Mer-Man explains with an evil laugh. "My Aquadon is capable of draining the strength & abilities from his opponents & use them for his own! Once he's done absorbing every ounce of energy from Godzilla's form, he'll become weak as a baby while Aquadon finishes him off with a single blow!"

Mer-Man allows himself another laugh as Aquadon continues to drain Godzilla's life force, growing in size by a few meters while doing so. Godzilla is now on both his hands & knees, unable to get up on his own power as it gets ebbed away, with Aquadon now towering over the Monster King by twenty meters. Barely able to keep his eyes open, Godzilla dangles in Aquadon's tentacles as he lifts him up off the ground like a child would do to a cat or kitten. The immense energy from Godzilla now flowing through Aquadon, the aquatic dinosaur beast prepares to finish off his weak & helpless enemy by lighting the inside of his mouth with the Monster King's power, primed & ready to finish him off with his own weapon.

His mouth full of Godzilla's energy, Aquadon prepares to fire…

The aquatic dinosaur beast unleashes an ear-shattering howl as the energy he'd absorbed from Godzilla stabs his brain, feeling like he's been struck by dozens of swords. The pain becoming too intense for him, Aquadon releases his grip on Godzilla, who crashes to the ground with a thud, neither moving nor even _breathing_.

"Aquadon! What's the _matter _with you?!", Mer-Man shouted unhappily, pointing his trident. "Go & finish Godzilla off like I commanded you to!"

But Aquadon could _not _carry out Mer-Man's order, for he was still wrestling with the unbearable pain that was hammering inside his head, feeling as if it's going to burst like a giant balloon, his roars consisting of anguish like he'd never felt previously.

"I don't think he _can _finish him off!", Whiplash stated. "Aquadon seems to be in great pain!"

"But…how's that _possible?! _What could be _causing _it?!", Mer-Man pleaded.

"I'm guessing, but it probably has to do with the energy he absorbed from Godzilla himself!", Man-E-Faces explains. "Something about it obviously doesn't _agree _with Aquadon's digestive tracks, & now it's fully resisting him in the same equivalence of a person eating a bad meal!"

"So what going to _happen _to him?", asked Teela.

"I…wish I knew."

Man-E-Faces & the rest get their answer with the next play of actions; no longer able to control or even bear the immense energy within him, Aquadon lets it all out in any way he can before it consumes & kills him. As fate would have it, it _does _get release from his body – all on its own. From his mouth & nostrils, lightning bolts of the absorbed energy exits the aquatic dinosaur beast as he roars in pain & defiance of his new meal. These freshly released bolts of energy streak across the beach, heading for & find themselves a brand new home.

Godzilla's dorsal spines.

Upon contact, the Monster King's fins re-absorb the energy taken from him & begin to glow brightly, spreading all over his body, rejuvenating his strength. Feeling the intense rush of renewed strength & stamina, Godzilla opens his eyes & rises off the sandy beach like a boxer who's gotten his second wind. Energy continues to flow from Aquadon's mouth & nostrils & into Godzilla as the former creature now begins to shrink in size all due to his rapidly depleting energy, getting weaker by the minute with the process reversing. Godzilla roars his approval & appreciation of getting back what was unjustly taken from him, feeling even more satisfying than his regular assumption of nuclear & atomic energy he usually uses for sustenance. When all was said & done, the mutant dinosaur now feels ten times stronger than ever, taking back not only his own energies but that of his foe – who has been shrunk to a height of being ten meters smaller than Godzilla himself.

The tables were fully turned, & with his newfound, improved strength, Godzilla wasted no time in reimbursing Aquadon for the way he'd been treated by him: lowering his head, the Monster King rushes at the smaller aquatic beast at full force & rams him with all his might in the chest. Aquadon had no time to defend himself or even dodge the attack due to his lack of energy & strength, & he literally gets flung back into the Sea of Rakash with a large & violent splash. Godzilla takes a few steps into the water as well, & seeing his enemy Aquadon rise from beneath the waves, unleashes his atomic ray at the aquatic dinosaur beast, hitting him in the chest where he has been head-butted. Because his ray's strength was increased along with the rest of him, Godzilla bathes Aquadon from the waist up as he scorches his skin even more intently. The aquatic beast lets out a dying roar, unable to withstand the ray's extreme heat, especially in his shrunken size & weakened condition. The pain being too much to bear, Aquadon slips beneath the Sea of Rakash & sinks like a stone the bottom, expired indefinitely.

Victorious, Godzilla unleashes his ear-shattering roar before heading out into the water, submerging when he gets to a hundred yards out, heading out in a northwest direction.

"_Noooooooooo!_", Mer-Man cried, seeing his beast defeated & sunk. "_Curse you_, Godzilla, to the deepest parts of the Forsaken Realm! We'll see you beaten _yet! _Do you hear me?!"

"You might as well let it go, Mer-Man", said Mekaneck. "There's no sense in yelling at him. All we _can _do is make sure that Godzilla heads straight for your _next _Super-Beast & hope that he has better luck in defeating him than either Aquadon or Pincer had."

Mer-Man reluctantly nodded silently, knowing the bio-necked warrior was correct.

"I don't believe we'll _need _to steer him in the right direction", Man-E-Faces says, switching to his robot face. "Skeletor said that one of his Super-Beasts is located in the Mystic Mountains, & my scanners indicate that Godzilla is heading _precisely _for it even as we speak."

Everyone looks out at the Sea of Rakash & catch the ripple Godzilla makes as he swims out. Although distant, they can see it well enough to realize that Man-E-Robot could very well be correct in his assumption. To get further confirmation, Mekaneck extends his neck out for a better view, going 120 feet above ground.

"You're _right_, Man-E", he says once he brings his neck back down. "I did a telescopic scope of his course, & he _is _heading straight for the Mystic Mountains like you said. Should he maintain his current speed, he'll reach that area in about a day or less."

"It's almost like Godzilla _knows _to head directly there", said Sy-Klone.

"How can that even _be?_", asked Trapjaw. "Godzilla's never set _foot _on Eternia until now."

"Could be he's guided by natural instinct alone. Animals _do _possess that ability", Two Bad's Tuvar said.

"We best give bad news to others", the Baddhra head says, getting a nod from both.

"You _are _correct on both counts, Two Bad", Teela said, getting on her com-unit.

"Don't worry about it _too _much, folks", Whiplash says. "Okay, so our first two Super-Beasts didn't do the job, but we still have three others left, & one of them is _bound _to finish off Godzilla."

"Not to be a party-pooper, Caligarian, but…what if they _can't?_", Ram Man asked non-threateningly.

None of the other Heroic _or _Evil Warriors could give Ram Man an answer.

Teela patches through to Man-At-Arms.

"Father? It's Teela. We've…got a situation", she began.

Needless to say, this fight rages on.

**CHAPTER VII**

_The Mystic Mountains, the next day:_

He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Tri-Klops & Skeletor were notified of the failure of the latter's first two Super-Beasts by Teela, along with Godzilla's current heading. After instructing his daughter to remain at the village with the other warriors until further notice, Man-At-Arms asked the triple-eyes swordsman for one of his Doomseekers to relay the information over to Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Stratos & Buzz-Off, all of whom were residing at the Mysitc Mountains, the home of both Buzz-Off's Andreenids & Stratos' Avionians. The quartet now stand on a sizable ledge outside the mountains, with a large area of open ground & a tall slab of rock to one side that stretches considerably.

It is here where Skeletor's next Super-Beast awaits.

Beast Man & Evil-Lyn stare at the open stretch of land, while Stratos & Buzz-Off exchange words with both Stingrad, Buzz-Off-s right-hand man, & Hawk, Stratos' sister.

"Thank you for getting Andreenos evacuated on such short notice, Stingrad", Buzz-Off said gratefully. "And now, I want for you & the rest of the guards there to tell the people to stay within their shelters until this danger has been placed behind us. Will you do that?"

"Of course, Buzz-Off", Stingrad replied. "You needn't have to ask."

"Same with me & Avion, brother", Hawk told Stratos. "All I ask is that you & Buzz-Off be very careful in your endeavor, especially if this Godzilla _is _as dangerous as you say he is."

"He's that & more, dear sister", Stratos said. "But fear not: if we can survive those who took our parents from us when we were kids, then we can certainly survive _this._"

Hawk gave her brother a big hug, with Stratos returning the gesture.

"May the Elders be with you both", Hawk said before she & Stingrad took off for their homes.

Their backs turned to the display of compassion, Beast Man & Evil-Lyn scour the area as the former takes a quick whiff of the air with his keen sense of smell.

"It's faint, but I _can _detect Godzilla's scent in the air", Beast Man said. "That day our allies mentioned is just about coming to a close. Godzilla's bound to show up _any _moment now!"

"And when he does, our next Super-Beast will _bury _him here!", Evil-Lyn said, her staff in hand & a wicked smile on her face.

"I _still _can't believe you slimy snakes were originally planning to use this creature against our _homes!_", Buzz-Off pouts, not bothering to hide his feelings. The two fiends turn to the Andreenid, with Evil-Lyn still sporting her sinister smile.

"My dear Buzz-Off", she began to say. "Do you want to stay here & point accusing fingers without getting anything done, or do you wish to _stop _Godzilla's rampage here on Eternia? You decide."

Buzz-Off grits & bares his teeth, wanting to knock Evil-Lyn's smile right off her face, but Stratos steps in before things could escalate out of control.

Placing his hands on his shoulders, the Avionian speaks calmly to his friend.

"Easy, Buzz-Off. I realize how hard this must be for you. Believe me, _my _people & I are no happier that yours, & we more than share your contempt for these two _and _their original plan to attack our neighboring communities. But Evil-Lyn _does _have a point – we need to halt Godzilla's rampage any way we can, & their Super-Beasts are by far the best options we have."

"Even though two of them have failed already?", Buzz-Off asked.

"Yes."

Buzz-Off let out a sigh, releasing his pent-up anger & frustration before continuing.

"You're right as usual, Stratos. At least we got word to our peoples in time & managed to clear our beloved cities before the inevitable." Stratos nodded in agreement as Buzz-Off faced Evil-Lyn & Beast Man again. "All right, you two – do what you must."

"Ha! _Thought _you'd see it our way, bug boy!", Beast Man quips, allowing himself a chuckle. Buzz-Off scowled his eyes, but this time kept his cool, remembering Stratos' words.

The ledge they all stood upon began to vibrate for an instant, sending tiny rocks & pebbles trickling at their feet which signaled the arrival of their common foe. The quartet looked west to see Godzilla appear over the horizon, his head peering up in plain sight. He was approaching at a moderate speed, his tremendous steps causing the ground to shake even from where they stood.

"Well, lookie who's showed up!", Beast Man says with a toothy grin.

"It looked like Two Bad was right before", Buzz-Off said. "Godzilla _did _somehow know to come here on his own without being taunted or pressured to."

"And it is here where he shall _perish _when this place becomes his _tomb!_", Evil-Lyn said, the ball upon her staff glowing with energy along with her eyes. Godzilla continues his trek across the horizon to where he senses his next foe to be at, & when he gets 100 meters from Evil-Lyn & company's position, she lets loose with a powerful blast of white energy that takes out an enormous chunk of rock from the wall to their right. The explosion blew away pieces of stone that measured the size of a Sky Sled or Wind Raider, revealing what looks like a huge organic egg, dark blue in color. This 'egg' suddenly opens up on both sides, forming a pair of large leathery wings that spread to a span of a staggering 150 meters across as it steps just outside the newly formed cave. Its body was slender & covered in fur, with a pair of legs that had hawk-like, four-toed feet which ended in pointed black claws. A long whip-like tail snaked from behind it, lashing out at the surrounding mouth of the cave. On its short but thick neck was a head that seemed a cross between a bat & a wolf's, with pointed ears on top. Its mouth was filled with sharp curved teeth, sprouting two large fangs that protrude from its upper gums like a cobra's. A pair of yellow eyes concluded its devilish look.

"Looks like a giant _bat_", said Stratos.

"How most observant of you, Avionian", Evil-Lyn praised him. "This creature I proudly name Venombat, for clearly obvious reasons: she's equipped with an extremely fatal poison coursing through her body! Just _one _bite from her fangs, & Godzilla is _finished!_"

Evil-Lyn laughs maniacally before handing her monster instructions, her eyes & staff lighting up.

"Onward, Venombat! Inject Godzilla with your lethal poison, & may this area become his eternal resting place! Do _not _let him leave here _alive!_"

Venombat's eyes flickered once in response to Evil-Lyn's command & emits a high-pitched screech that echoes the vicinity. Godzilla lets loose with his heat ray, not bothering to roar back. His primary weapon reached to where Venombat is in ten seconds, but the bat creature took off for the air as Godzilla's ray hits only an empty cave, blasting rocks from within. Now airborne, Venombat hovered 400 feet above ground as Godzilla stared up at his winged foe, growling in frustration seeing his enemy has the advantage of the skies, unlike him. The Monster King roared before unleashing his heat ray again, directing it skyward to hit his winged enemy. Like her namesake, Venombat dived out of its path with ease as the ray passed by. Godzilla re-directed his weapon at the flying monstrosity, but Venombat is far too nimble & quick as she dodges every attempt to fry her in mid-air, hitting nothing _but _air.

Seeing the futility of striking from above, Godzilla ceases his heat ray.

Now hovering 500 feet above the ground, Venombat stared down at Godzilla with a malicious face as she licks her forked tongue around her lips. Godzilla grunts in frustration while Venombat began flapping her massive wings at her grounded foe in a continuous loop, creating wind gusts of hurricane-like force, if not more so. The winged beast shrieked as Godzilla stood his ground, fighting the buffeting winds caused by her membranous appendages but being only partially so. The winds were so powerful that they were actually driving Godzilla backwards as his feet began to drag on the ground. The huge cloud dust wasn't helping either: it was so thick that Godzilla could barely see his hands in front of his face, & he fought to keep from being blinded while rocks started pelting him all over.

His temporary blindness is what Venombat had waited for: she swoops in at Godzilla & passes him to his left, & in doing so she lashes out at the saurian with her tail, slapping & stinging him in the face which leaves a bleeding cut as he cried out in surprise & pain. Venombat circles around & passes him again on the right, inflicting the same damage to his face's right side, only more intense. Godzilla's cry can be heard clearly in the dust cloud Venombat has created, & he fought to peer through in search of his flying foe. He could hear a quick rush of air heading his way, & Godzilla decided to be ready by lighting up his dorsal spines, making him seem like a lighthouse in a fog bank. The Monster King fires his ray at the oncoming Venombat, who dodges the deadly beam at the last second & avoiding a direct hit in her chest. All the beam _did _hit were a cliff close to where Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Buzz-Off & Stratos stood by at, all shielding themselves with an arm. Aside from a few small rocks, nothing major came their way.

"That was a bit _too _close for comfort!", Stratos says with Buzz-Off nodding.

"If only we could see what was going _on _in there!", the Andreenid said.

"For once, the bug-man's right!", Beast Man said. "_I _want to see this big bat make the _kill _on Godzilla!"

"Don't worry, boys – you _will!_", Evil-Lyn said with a sinister smirk.

As luck would have it, Godzilla's ray helped to clear the dust cloud that obscured his & everyone's vision. His roar of anger blared throughout the area as Venombat did indifferent. The winged creature swoops in & heads straight for the mutant saurian, who fires his ray once more but does not hit his oncoming enemy as Venombat dodges the projectile with her speed & soars above Godzilla. As she does, Venombat wraps her tail around Godzilla's neck while her talons dig into his shoulders. The Monster King cried out as claws penetrate his flesh & his throat gets constricted which almost cuts off his air. He tried prying off his enemy's feet with his hands, but Venombat's grip on him was strong & solid. The tail wrapped around his throat was just as firm, & Godzilla was totally at Venombat's mercy.

Even powerful whips by his own tail wasn't enough to convince her to set him free, & before long, the Monster King was being sent on a flight as he flies through the air with Venombat at his pilot. The winged creature slams the Monster King into several rock formations, causing large tremors & scattering boulders in all directions. When she feels he's had enough, Venombat takes her unwilling passenger up into the sky, flapping her wings as both monsters ascend to an altitude of 1,000 feet.

Until Venombat lets go of Godzilla & _drops _him!

Descending rapidly, Godzilla goes into a freefall as the warriors watch in awe & amazement. Stratos warns his company to brace themselves for the inevitable impact when Godzilla hits the ground, which is sure to cause a great shockwave once he touches terra firma.

When he finally hits ground, the impact feels as if the entire _planet _was vibrating as Godzilla leaves a massive crater where he crash-landed, being many meters deep. The warriors were barely able to keep themselves holding where they were, hitting the floor as the impact shook each one to their very core, feeling their skeletons & insides rattle like they were about to shatter.

"Boy, what a _rush!_", Beast Man quips, rising up if shakily.

"For once, I agree!", Buzz-Off said, getting to his feet with Stratos.

"A literally nerve-shattering experience – one I would _not _care to go through again!", said Stratos, looking skywards. "Where's Venombat?"

"Coming in fast for the kill!", said Evil-Lyn, smiling wickedly. Their gazes went up as well, seeing the winged creature dive down like an Olympic champion, her own gaze on a woozy Godzilla as he struggled to get up.

"Oooooh, Godzilla's in for it _now!_", Beast Man says with a toothy chuckle.

"Just _one _little bite, & it's _all_ over!", Evil-Lyn said, her smile still present.

Venombat crashes into Godzilla's side & clings onto him with her claws from her talons & wings. The Monster King thrashes with his tail to get her off, but the winged monstrosity ignores them & bares her fangs with a hiss. Like a cobra with wings, Venombat sinks her teeth into Godzilla's neck as the saurian cried out before she removes her two fangs from his neck after only a few seconds, the damage being done.

"_Yes!_", Evil-Lyn cried out triumphantly, her grin at its biggest as she laughs maniacally. "Venombat has _done _it! Even now, her deadly poison _courses _through Godzilla's body like a raging river! In mere moments, he shall be nothing more than a bad memory!"

Evil-Lyn laughed again, unable to contain her joy. She doesn't lie either: even as Venombat flies away a few meters from Godzilla, the Monster King feels like something threw a bag over all his senses as the venom enters his bloodstream at a rapid pace, his temperature rising & his movements sluggish. No matter how hard he tries, Godzilla could not defeat the poison in his system which threatens to consume him from head to tail. Each time he makes a move or even wiggle his finger, it feels like heavy weight was added to his mass, being more than he could handle.

He drops to his knees as his eyelids get heavy like the rest of him. Evil-Lyn continued to laugh triumphantly.

"It's no use, Godzilla!", Evil-Lyn bickers to him. "Venombat's poison is _far _stronger than _you _are! All _you're _doing is speeding up the process in forthcoming your own demise! In fact, unless I miss my guess, your time to expire is about to come in three…two…one…"

Before Evil-Lyn could get to zero, something happens that astonishes her & the others – something that they should _not _be seeing.

Godzilla reopens his eyes & is beginning to rise up from the ground to his feet, looking as if he doesn't even _feel _his foe's poison.

"How could this _be?!_", Beast Man wondered, his mouth hung open in shock.

"No!", Evil-Lyn said in the same state, her voice rising. "It's _impossible! _My Venombat has more than enough poison coursing through her to kill a _dozen _creatures of his size! Godzilla should be all but _dead _right about now!"

If Godzilla's strength were the same as when he'd first entered Eternia, that would be true: the reason he was able to withstand Venombat's lethal injection is because of the extra energy he had absorbed from Aquadon in their scuffle the other day, making him ten times stronger than usual & more immune to toxins than before, even though it had taken a bit longer for him to counteract the effects & neutralize it.

"Maybe you ought to go & tell _Godzilla _that!", Buzz-Off snaps.

Evil-Lyn scowled at the Andreenid's smartass remark but otherwise ignores it.

"No matter! He may have survived _one _injection, but now let's see if Godzilla can handle an _overdose!_", she says, her eyes & staff glowing bright as she points the latter. "Go, Venombat! _Keep on _injecting your deadly poison into your enemy until he no longer _moves!_"

Venombat's eyes light up briefly & roars in response to Evil-Lyn's new command, flying towards Godzilla once again with her fangs protruded, his back to her. Believing her enemy is still groggy from her last bite, Venombat thinks a stealth attack from behind will ensure victory.

She thought wrong: Godzilla not only learns from his past mistakes, he _avoids _them. Such is the case when the winged creature soars in silence with her fangs bared, getting to about twenty meters of Godzilla & readies to deliver his lethal overdose when the Monster King makes a 180 degree turn & grabs Venombat by the throat, the maneuver taking her completely by surprise. Putting pressure upon her throat, Godzilla slams Venombat to the ground on a large boulder that knocks out several of her teeth, including her deadly fangs which shatter like they were made of plaster.

"Hey, _no fair!_", Beast Man snapped, impressing nobody.

"_Venombat!_", Evil-Lyn shouted with concern & a hint of fear in her voice.

Despite losing her primary weapon, Venombat could still fly & does so once Godzilla's grip on her subsides. Taking to the air, she avoids his foot which came down on the spot she was at only seconds previously.

Rising into the sky, Venombat gets herself to an ample altitude before descending downward, aiming directly at the King of the Monsters. Seeing an imminent collision, Godzilla fires his heat ray skywards at his fast-approaching enemy, who skillfully avoids it with a twist. Even with the loss of her ability to inject poison into her foe, Venombat was still a formidable opponent & continues her descent towards the Monster King, dodging his ray with ease.

Getting into striking distance, Venombat whips her tail around at Godzilla, but the saurian was ready: ceasing his ray, he snaps his vice-like jaws on her tail at the middle & bites down like an angry dog, putting her flight to an abrupt & violent halt, screeching her protest. With a mighty yank, Godzilla swings his head to the right, taking his enemy with him & slamming her into the side of a rock formation, spraying some of its contents. Grabbing his foe by her tail, Godzilla lights up his dorsal spines to finish off his winged adversary. Realizing what he plans to do to her, Venombat takes off again into the air but Godzilla ensues that she goes _nowhere_: his grip solid, he keeps Venombat at bay by her tail, the scenario looking as if he's flying a big lively kite on a clear day.

Try as she might, Venombat could not break herself free from Godzilla's grip. All the big bat creature _can _do is watch wide-eyes as Godzilla's powerful heat ray hits her in the chest at full force.

"_Noooooooooooo!_", Evil-Lyn cried in despair as Godzilla roasts Venombat alive with his primary weapon. The bat monster lets out a dying screech that can be heard everywhere within the Mystic Mountains as she spontaneously combusts into flames, filling a portion of the sky with clouds of black smoke. Godzilla unleashed his ray again at his burned enemy, the force taking her carcass to the pit she emerged from before Godzilla seals it up with a tumble of rocks, burying Venombat everywhere except for her legs & tail, her main body crushed by the avalanche as the fires which consume her body still burn.

Another enemy beaten, Godzilla roars louder than Venombat's screech, the sound vibrating off the walls & into the mountains. Then he starts marching away from his beaten foe, heading in a southwest direction.

"_Curse you_, Godzilla! She was my _favorite _Super-Beast!", Evil-Lyn barked, her eyes & staff glowing as she draws it back a bit, wanting nothing more than to blow Godzilla's head off with one strike.

"_No_, Evil-Lyn!", Stratos says, grabbing her wrist & stopping her. "Despite your all-powerful magic, you're _no match_ for Godzilla on your own, even _with _Skeletor backing you up! Or have you merely forgotten the _last _time you took him on?"

Evil-Lyn pulled her wrist free hastily from Stratos, highly reluctant to admit that the Avionian was right on all counts.

"Don't you _ever _lay a feathered hand on me again, Stratos!", she warns him. "I'll roast you _just _as bad!"

"Save your empty threats for when you can _back _them, witch!", Stratos replied, not intimidated.

Before a conflict could erupt between them, Beast Man speaks up.

"This is getting _irritable!_ Godzilla's _killing_ our monsters one at a time, & now we're down to our last two!"

"Fear not, Beast Man", Evil-Lyn said in a much calmer tone. "Our 'last two' Super-Beasts will stop Godzilla dead in his tracks. And at his current speed & direction, he'll reach the Evergreen Forest near the Ocean of Gnarl by sundown."

"Then we'd better inform He-Man & company of his approach in advance", Buzz-Off said as a Doomseeker floats by, seemingly like it had read his mind.

"Time to put in that call", said Stratos.

The others nodded.

_The Evergreen Forest, two minutes before sundown:_

Skeletor is _not _a happy man, & it had more to do than his forming a temporary – and uneasy – alliance with his most hated enemy He-Man & the other Heroic Masters at his side with Battle Cat beside the Wind Raider.

Not only did he lose control of putting Godzilla at his command to assist him in ruling Eternia, but he & all of his warriors nearly got _killed_ in the process, & now the Super-Beasts that _are _in his command are getting defeated one after another, unable to halt Godzilla's rampage on Eternia as they are now being sent to do, rather than using them to conquer the planet for his own. The news of Pincer, Aquadon & Venombat's defeats from his & He-Man's warriors has only fueled his disappointment & rage up to a boiling point, & now he has only two chances left to put an end to Godzilla once & for all.

Now he, his most trusted warrior Tri-Klops, He-Man & _his _most reliable friend Man-At-Arms, all await in the forest for Godzilla's inevitable arrival where their next – and last two – surprises wait for him.

Only one thought enters their minds: will it be enough?

Man-At-Arms & Tri-Klops were having a discussion to themselves & out of earshot by Skeletor & He-Man, both of whom waited for a final answer by their faithful advisors. Upon completion, they rejoin the group as Man-At-Arms relays the news.

"According to Tri-Klops, Godzilla should be arriving at a couple of minutes _after_ sundown", Duncan said.

"Very good, Duncan", Skeletor says. "Once Godzilla gets to _this _area, the sun will go down upon him in a more _permanent _manner!"

"Godzilla will _finally _be beaten!", said a smiling Tri-Klops.

The Dark Prince of the Mystic Arts allows himself a chuckle.

"That's been said pretty much today with hardly anything to show for it, gentlemen", He-Man said, his arms across his chest & unconvinced. "It's been _your _beasts that get beaten instead of the other way around like it _should _be. What makes you think the outcome will be any different _this _time?"

"Because, He-Man, the _strategy _will be different", Skeletor says. "So far, we've been sending in only _one _of our Super-Beast at a time to defeat Godzilla, with horrid results. So instead of _one _creature…"

"Let's _up _the ante & go for a _double-play!_", Tri-Klops says, sharing a laugh with him.

Man-At-Arms kindly takes his friend over, away from their temporary partners. When they were out of earshot, Duncan began talking to He-Man just above a whisper.

"You know, He-Man, if these last two Super-Beasts of theirs actually _do _succeed in bringing down Godzilla, there'll be nothing to stop Skeletor in using them on _us _afterwards."

"That's exactly what's been running through _my _head, Man-At-Arms", He-Man replied back the same way. "I know old bonehead will turn the tables on us once we reach our objective. But we'll worry about that if & when it comes. Right now, we're _all _anxious to see Godzilla being disposed of."

_Some more than others_, He-Man thought.

"And if these last two beasts _can't _defeat Godzilla?", Duncan adds.

He-Man raised his eyebrows in doubt, unsure of what to say. He knew his friend had a very good point: if by chance Skeletor's final two monsters fail to do the task of ridding Eternia of Godzilla, what then? Neither side can even _begin _to defeat Godzilla on their own, a grim fact that's been proven twice, & no one wants an instant replay of being brought down by Godzilla. It was a bad enough experience the first time around, & even He-Man & Skeletor themselves were no match for the Monster King, despite their incredible power & strength.

Having no good answer, He-Man remained silent for several minutes.

Rumbling of the ground marked the signal of the Monster King's approach, putting the four combatants on full alert. A clear night with a bright full moon was their only source of light at the moment.

"He's here", Man-At-Arms says.

"Indeed he is", Skeletor said, sounding surprisingly pleased. "Tri-Klops, let's not wait until Godzilla gets here. Release our two beasts immediately from their slumber. _They've _waited long enough!"

"That they have! And frankly, I was _hoping _you would suggest it!", Tri-Klops said with an evil smile. The visor which serves as his sight & circles his head rotates horizontally from his green over to his red optic sensor. A crimson beam shoots from this as he aims upwards in a diagonal manner. He-Man & Man-At-Arms wonder what the triple-eyed swordsman was firing at, since there's nothing in the vicinity except for trees, blasting them away into splinters with ease until he cleared enough to uncover a patch of rocky gravel that covers several miles before ending at the Ocean of Gnarl.

At about forty meters out, Tri-Klops' optic blast hits what appears an invisible barrier that shimmers in the air in a pyramid-like fashion, doing so for another couple of seconds before fading out of existence as Tri-Klops ceases his beam. With the barrier down, He-Man & Man-At-Arms can see a pair of mechanical monsters in a crouching pose with their limbs curled in, looking like metal balls. Now freed, these balls unfurl themselves & rise to their full height, which measured them both to be three or four meters taller than Godzilla. They were white in color, with a pinch of silver to add to their mechanical look, resembling futuristic dinosaurs that stood upright as Godzilla does. Unlike the Monster King, their dorsal spines were much smaller, being mere square bumps in the back & tail. Two spiked curved horns protruded from the rear of their heads, & their mouths were devoid of teeth, sans a pair of fangs from both the upper & lower jaws. One had a pair of crimson ruby-like eyes, while the other's was green in color. They gave them a malevolent appearance.

One reason as to why Skeletor & Tri-Klops admire them so much.

"What _are _they?", asked Duncan.

"Say hello to Mechasaurus-1 & Mechasaurus-2!", Tri-Klops proudly announced, giving himself a laugh.

"What makes you believe that these overgrown toys are even _capable_ of defeating Godzilla?", He-Man asked.

"These 'overgrown toys' as you so kindly call them work & operate as a team in unison, He-Man! Their weaponry is matched only by their hostility & vicious cunning, which will be more than they need when they take down Godzilla! And speaking of whom…"

Tri-Klops' red visor flashes in a Morse code pattern, giving instructions to Mechasaurus-1. Switching over to his green optic, he does the same to Mechasaurus-2 as both come to life. Receiving their instructions, their eyes flash & stay on before giving off a loud mechanical shriek & jump into the air, landing about fifty yards both in front of & behind Godzilla, who was surprised by the two new enemies' amazing speed & agility. His brief state of shock gave MS-1 the perfect opportunity to strike first: from the palms of his four-fingered hands, a metal coil shoots forth & wrap themselves around Godzilla's arms, constricting them tightly. A jolt of a million volts of electricity flows right through them, striking the mutant dinosaur as he cried out in anguish. MS-2 counterattacked with his own coils, this time wrapping themselves around Godzilla's ankles, letting out the same electrical discharge. As Godzilla struggled to be free & stay conscious, the metal dinosaur duo now unleash a barrage of red & green laser fire from their near-toothless mouths, striking the Monster King with deadly accuracy. Unable to withstand the intensity of both electric voltage & laser bombardment in a simultaneous manner, Godzilla started getting weak in his legs & he fell down to his knees, his body writhed in agony as his cries of pain intensify.

Skeletor & Tri-Klops share a laugh of triumph, hugely satisfied with the performance of their robot monsters.

"It would seem we were accurate in our strategy, Tri-Klops!", Skeletor says. "A double-play _did _seem to be the right choice after all! Those two Mechasaurs are working to _perfection!_"

"And how, Skeletor!", Tri-Klops adds. "With their commands known only to each other, even Godzilla can't calculate or predict what they'll do next, & now they have him _completely _on the ropes & at their mercy!"

The diabolical duo share another sinister laugh as Duncan suddenly feels a surprising hint of sorrow for the Monster King.

"I have to admit, He-Man", he whispers to his friend. "Those two robots _do _have Godzilla on the ropes, & got him so in mere _seconds_."

"They're behaving just like Tuvar & Baddhra did before Skeletor fused them together as Two Bad", He-Man replied, recalling when Skeletor hired the bounty hunters to dispose of Eternia's hero.

"Yes, if only more so. It seems to me like they'll actually succeed in finishing him off."

"Good – I _hope _so!", He-Man replied again, only in a colder voice as he scowled his eyes.

"He-Man?", Man-At-Arms says, his eyebrows rising.

He-Man didn't respond to his good friend, & Duncan believes he knows why. Since the day Godzilla attacked the Palace & nearly killed his parents, Eternia's champion has secretly longed to see the Monster King beaten & even killed. Duncan can feel the anger within him rising for his desire for revenge on Godzilla.

It worried him for the most part. Truth be told, it _scares _him.

Godzilla's entire body feels like it's being pulled away in different directions as the electricity & laser beams from the Mechasaurs continue to torment him. If he doesn't do something soon, Eternia will be his final resting place.

With all the strength he can muster, Godzilla lights up his dorsal spines & fires his heat ray at the coils of MS-1, cutting them off almost at the hands, leaving only melted stubs. Removing the neutral coils from his arms, the pain is now less than half & Godzilla can concentrate on MS-2 behind him. Despite a still-powerful electric surge coursing through, Godzilla was able to counterattack: grabbing MS-2's coils, he swings the metal beast over his shoulder & into his companion. With a loud metallic clang, the two robot dinosaurs collide with each other, the collision breaking MS-2's coils from his wrists & ceasing the electric flow as Godzilla removes them from his ankles & tosses them away.

Unleashing his heat ray at the machines, Godzilla approaches his two robotic foes, keeping them pinned under his weapon. Reaching Mechasaurus-1, he grabs him by the tail & picks him up above his head & brings him down with tremendous force upon his metal partner, showering sparks. He does this three more times before Mechasaurus-2 reaches out with his left foot & striking Godzilla in the solar plexus, knocking him backwards & releasing his grip on MS-1, who lands flawlessly on his feet. As the Monster King gets to his feet, he gets clobbered in the face by MS-2 with a well-placed slap of the tail. This was followed by a high-flying kick by MS-1 to the chest, putting him down again with a thud. When Godzilla rises once more, he's assaulted again by several well-timed kicks, punches, slaps & laser fire which stagger Godzilla & confuse him, not knowing where to strike first.

Blindly firing his heat ray in hopes of hitting just one of his attackers, Godzilla flashes his primary weapon in all directions, making contact with Mechasaurus-2 in the chest as sparks fly, if briefly. His success doesn't last long: Mechasaurus-1 struck back with his crimson laser, hitting Godzilla in the back. He followed it up by landing a double fist to the Monster King's head – a blow which sent him soaring over 100 feet across the terrain before landing with an earth-shattering thud.

Godzilla lay still after the impact, his eyes closed.

The two mechanical dinosaurs roar in semi-victory before walking over to Godzilla's inert form, ready to blast him should he be playing possum. Seeing no movement at all, Mechasaurus-1 grabbed Godzilla by the neck & lifted him up to eye level. Mechasaurus-2 came closer, giving his partner backup if he needed it. Detecting no further move of even an eyelid, the two monstrous machines decide to make Godzilla's inert position a permanent one.

Both of their mouths light up with red & green energy.

That's when Godzilla chooses to strike.

Opening his eyes, he swiftly snatches both metal dinosaurs by the throat & make them face each other as they launch their rays. Both beams hit one another, causing a blast that knocks all three combatants for a loop & away in a heap of flesh & metal. All get staggered by the unexpected blast, but Godzilla recovered first. Getting to his feet, he rushes over to Mechasaurus-1 & grabs him by his neck again, flinging him over to his partner as they crash into each other, creating another shower of sparks. Godzilla unleashes his heat ray at the two machines screech in something that registers as pain to their sensors. The Monster King jumps up & soars through the air briefly before coming back down onto both mechanized enemies, landing hard enough to make their metal buckle in the back.

Godzilla continued pounding on & clawing at their metal hides until both creatures got him off by utilizing a powerful shock that sent him sprawling 50 yards away. The robot dinosaurs stand side-by-side of one another as they exchange data. Realizing the futility of tackling Godzilla as a duo, the metal monsters began putting their contingency plan into action: an aura of a force field surrounds both Mechasaurs, with Eternia's warriors & Godzilla all watch & wonder what's occurring before their eyes.

"Tri-Klops! What's _happening _to our mechanical monsters?!", Skeletor demanded.

"I-I honestly don't _know_, Skeletor!", was all Tri-Klops could say.

"Then find out _right now_, you…"

"I think we're all about to get the answer you're looking for, Skeletor!", He-Man said, pointing.

Inside their force field, the two robot dinosaurs began going through a metamorphosis unlike any they've seen: MS-1's left side & MS-2's right open up from shoulder to waist just above their legs, revealing interior mechanics & circuitry. On the sides where the machines are exposed, their arms & legs all traverse to their opposite sides, fusing their legs into one & adding an extra arm, the hands & fingers rotating & matching the others. Now clear of any & all appendages, the two metal dinosaurs converge together where their circuitry is exposed & fuse as one.

When all was said & done, the result was a pair of metal dinosaurs now becoming a two-headed, two-tailed & four-armed mechanical monster, with legs that were twice as thick & strong as before.

Its mere sight fascinated both Heroic & Evil Warrior alike.

"Did…did you _know _they could _do _that, Tri-Klops?", Skeletor asked, clearly astonished.

"Not at _all_, Skeletor!", the triple-eyed swordsman said. "This is as much a surprise to _me _as it is you! But then, you _know _what they say about looking gift horses in the mouth! Besides, this reminds me of both Tuvar & Baddhra – before & after!"

Skeletor couldn't suppress a chuckle: he was also reminded of the two bounty hunters that he fused together as punishment for not only failing to get rid of He-Man, but also refusing to work with each other when they'd been told by Skeletor to do so, regardless of their personal feelings of one another.

"So now that they're fused as one, what _do _we call this creature?", Skeletor wondered.

"I believe '_Mega_-Mechasaurus' sounds most efficient, don't you agree?", Tri-Klops asks with a grin.

"Indubitably. Now let us see what Mega-Mechasaurus can _really _do!"

The force field that surrounded Mega-MS vanishes as both heads let out a metallic shriek in unison. Godzilla retaliates with one of his own, followed by a shot of his heat ray. Mega-MS jumps into the air before the beam hit home, heading for his foe. Like a karate or judo expert, the metal monster places his right foot into Godzilla's chest, sending the saurian flying backwards many meters, landing with an earth-shattering thump. The now-joined robot beast keeps his assault up on the Monster King by firing his beams, hitting him with shots of a brownish color, which is equivalent when mixing red & green together. Wanting to keep Godzilla down, Mega-MS' four hands create a ball of brown energy from lightning charges that meet in the middle, ballooning to several meters in diameter. This energy ball takes off like a shot, heading straight for Godzilla. Upon contact, a massive explosion sends the mutant dinosaur shooting up into the air as Mega-MS makes another leap in his direction, catching him in mid-flight. The two-headed robot beast lands on top of Godzilla, making sure _he _takes the full brunt of the impact. Rising to his full height, Mega-MS grabs a dazed Godzilla with all four hands & tosses him like a bag of garbage over to a rocky hillside which he crashes into with a grunt. Using both his mouth lasers & energy balls, Mega-Mechasaurus creates an avalanche of stone & rocks as he blasts the hillside & buries his flesh-&-blood enemy completely with not even a hint of his tail being visible from view.

Seeing his enemy buried under tons of rocks & stone as his grave, Mega-Mechasaurus' twin heads shriek again victoriously, his hands into fists.

His enthusiasm was shared by Skeletor & Tri-Klops.

"Ha! I just _knew _our marvelous machines would triumph, one way or another!", the triple-eyed swordsman says with an evil grin. "If only Godzilla knew to come here _first_, this would've all been _over_, & we'd still have all of our _other _Super-Beasts!"

"It matters not, dear Tri-Klops!", Skeletor assures him. "Even with only Mega-Mechasaurus in our possession, we can _still _proceed with our original plan! And speaking of which…"

The diabolical duo turn to He-Man & Man-At-Arms, both of whom have their weapons ready for the first sign of treachery.

"Guess what, He-Man?", the bone-faced sorcerer says. "Now that the threat of Godzilla is all but _over_, we can officially declare our temporary alliance at an…"

A rumbling in the background made Skeletor mute as he, Tri-Klops & the two Heroic Masters face Mega-MS, believing _he _was the cause of the noise.

They were wrong: in a single shot, the rocks & boulders that have buried Godzilla were blown & scattered in numerous directions; some of which strike Mega-MS in the faces, temporarily obscuring his vision. When the rocks were all but subsided, a ghastly sight filled the eyes of both monster & humans alike.

Godzilla was still alive, functioning & _very _pissed off!

"_Impossible!_", Tri-Klops spat.

"This can't _be!_", Skeletor said, just as stunned to see the Monster King alive & well.

Freed from his rocky grave, Godzilla leaped at Mega-MS while he was still blinded & rams full force into his robotic foe. Although taken by surprise, Mega-MS still manages to strike back at Godzilla by biting both sides of his neck just above his shoulders. Ignoring the intense pain, Godzilla fires his heat ray at point-blank range at Mega-MS' chest, melting a portion of it. With a thrust of his hand, Godzilla reaches inside the cavity he made as the two-headed metal monster releases his bite on his foe, shrieking in agony. The mutant saurian digs deeper into Mega-MS' chest & his fingers reach something of radiant energy.

Upon contact, Godzilla temporarily blacks out but his mind was still active as a powerful force enters his brain, conjuring up an image of a castle-like structure with a skull-like entrance, surrounded by a wide & deep crevice that seemed bottomless, circling around it.

It is the source of power, Godzilla discovers, that has brought him & all the other monsters he's fought from his homeworld to Eternia.

It was the source of all his current troubles.

Castle Grayskull.

_Inside Castle Grayskull:_

Standing at the entranceway to where the power of the Elders resided at, the Sorceress & Zodak received the same power surge in their minds that struck Godzilla himself, a dreadful feeling washing over them both.

"He knows", the Cosmic Enforcer says, standing a few feet behind her.

"Yes, Zodak. It is as I have _feared_ would eventually happen", the Sorceress says. "It seems that even the might of Skeletor's other monsters proved to be no match for Godzilla's unrelenting power. And now that he's discovered the origin of what brought him to Eternia, he will no doubt focus his anger & rage at this very location."

"And should the last monster fail to subdue Godzilla, his arrival at Grayskull will be a foregone conclusion. As much as we hate to commence with it, we need the Elder's power here in order to send Godzilla back to where he'd been taken."

"Not only that, Zodak, but we must do so before Godzilla can breach the castle walls. The consequences will be catastrophic in ways even _I _cannot foresee. While using this power is a double-edged sword that could easily backfire on us, there really is no other alternative. I need to know it you are _fully _committed in proceeding with me, aside from the terrible danger it ensues."

"That I am, Sorceress. Even though I may be temperamental in spots, I am not as thick-headed to know when desperate times call for equally desperate measures in order to save our beloved home. Count me in."

Nodding proudly, the Sorceress accompanies Zodak into the tesseract-themed area of Castle Grayskull where the Elder's power resides at, making themselves poised & ready for the battle still to come.

_The Evergreen Forest:_

Godzilla's images of Castle Grayskull fade as his robotic enemy sparkles & cackles with electric discharges that are caused by the saurian's hand as he grabs a handful of wires in tow & pulls them & his hand out of Mega-MS' chest, tossing them away. The twin-headed machine monster freezes in place & shrieks from the turmoil of having a few of his inner components torn out of him. Godzilla gains the upper hand of the situation further by doing a full 360 degree spin, buffeting Mega-Mechasaurus with his powerful tail & sending him crashing into the same hillside which the Monster King was thrown at by his metallic foe.

Now the roles were reversed, & Mega-MS' power was slowly but surely depleting as he sluggishly tried to rise in vain as Godzilla fires his heat ray & hitting first the metal creature, searing his chest some before doing so to the hillside above him, creating another downpour of rocks that cover up Mega-MS in a bed of boulders, disappearing from sight completely with only the very tips of his twin tails visible.

Waiting several moments to see if his enemy was playing possum as he did, Godzilla saw no further movement from Mega-Mechasaurus & roars out loud to let everyone know who the victor is.

"So…what was that you were saying before about our temporary alliance, Skeletor?", a smirking He-Man asks.

"Never mind!", Skeletor snapped angrily, his eyes glowing red.

Godzilla turned away from his beaten foe & heads in a southeast direction, ignoring & lumbering past the four warriors & Battle Cat without so much as a sideways glance at any of them, his speed picking up with each step; the monster's enormous size still grabs them with awe.

"_Now _how do we stop Godzilla?!", an irate Tri-Klops pondered. "All of our Super-Beasts are used up & _beaten_ by our one stray!"

"More importantly, he seems to be in a _hurry!_ Where _could _he be going to in such a rush?", Skeletor wondered.

He-Man & Man-At-Arms pondered that very same thought when the former received a telepathic message from the Sorceress.

The Sorceress: _He-Man…Godzilla still poses a grave danger to Eternia!_

He-Man: _I know, Sorceress! He's faced & defeated every one of Skeletor's Super-Beasts, & now he's walking away unscathed!_

The Sorceress: _That's not really why I contacted you! There's more to this situation than even _you _realize!_

He-Man: _How so? Explain!_

The Sorceress: _However faint, Godzilla felt a trace of the power that has brought him & the other monsters here to Eternia when he reached inside Mega-Mechasaurus! For a brief moment, he saw an image of the _source _of its power, & now he's making his way towards it even as we speak!_

The answer hit He-Man right away, & it sent a cold chill up his spine.

He-Man: _Godzilla's on his way to Castle Grayskull!_

The Sorceress: _Yes! If he should actually _destroy _Grayskull, Godzilla will very much absorb _all _of its immense power, becoming virtually unstoppable! What's more, he will do the same with _you _in the process with devastating results as a well-kept secret shall be uncovered!_

He-Man: _My true identity of Prince Adam will be revealed to friend & foe alike!_

The Sorceress: _Exactly! Zodak & I will set up a barrier to delay Godzilla for as long as we're able, but you _must _come to Castle Grayskull at once!_

He-Man: _Say no more, Sorceress! You & Zodak do what you need to! The rest of us will be on our way!_

Telepathic communication between them ceased as He-Man now spoke orally.

"Judging by Godzilla's current direction, there's only _one _place that he's heading for!"

Even before He-Man finished speaking, the answer hit Skeletor, Tri-Klops & Man-At-Arms like a blow to the head, & it chilled even _Skeletor _to the bone.

"_Castle Grayskull!_", the trio of warriors said in unison.

"Got it on the first try!", He-Man said. "Skeletor! Man-At-Arms! Get in touch with the others & have them meet us there _immediately!_"

"We'll do it on the way there! _Let's move!_", Duncan said, heading for the Wind Raider with He-Man.

"Come, Tri-Klops! We're not finished yet!", Skeletor said, rushing to his Griffin.

"Right!", the triple-eyed swordsman said, following close behind.

In record time, the four warriors were airborne & on their way to Castle Grayskull, following Godzilla's path but remaining out of sight.

As the Sorceress & Zodak predicted, the _real _battle was yet to come.

**CHAPTER VIII**

_Castle Grayskull, dawn:_

Once news of Godzilla's approach to Castle Grayskull has reached all ears, the unlikely group of Heroic & Evil Warriors literally dropped everything & raced over in their vehicles & Griffins in record time. The situation was dire enough to all without deducing the real problem as He-Man, the Sorceress & of course Man-At-Arms have along the way. Godzilla is more than powerful enough to take on Skeletor _and _He-Man's forces _without _the power of the Elders flowing through his systems. If he _does _take possession of it, he'll become an unstoppable menace, & being a raging monster with animalistic fury, Godzilla would probably have no inkling on how to harness or control the immense power coursing through him.

Because of these factors, the Monster King would not only destroy He-Man & Skeletor's forces, but also the rest of Eternia & possibly himself along with it.

Everyone's job is to make sure that does _not _happen.

Resting their vehicles & Griffins on the ground at the base of Grayskull, He-Man & Skeletor's forces lie in wait for the arrival of their imminent foe who's scheduled to appear at any moment, according to calculations carefully made by Duncan. Mekaneck kept a careful lookout, his neck extended high above the surrounding trees.

For over an hour, he saw nothing.

Two minutes later, he sees their giant quarry as his head popped out from among the trees.

The ground started to rumble, & Mekaneck retracted his appendage.

"He's on his way over!", he said, the vibrations getting more intense.

"Battle positions – everyone!", Man-At-Arms says as all Wind Raiders, Griffins & Stinkor's personal transport rise up above the trees to form a barrier that will defend Grayskull as best it can. Only Stratos, Buzz-Off & Sy-Klone stay airborne by their wings & wind power, the latter being in close proximity of Stinkor. The moment was tense as Heroic & Evil Warrior alike stood ready to repel Godzilla & keep Castle Grayskull out of his reach at all costs.

Some feel that this may be their last stand, but will defend Grayskull out of their duty to protect it & Eternia as he/she is sworn to do.

Others, however, feel more opposing.

"I can't _believe _we have to help those accursed Masters to _protect _Grayskull rather than trying to _conquer _it!", Evil-Lyn said in a low voice to Skeletor, who was next to her on his own Griffin, their staffs pointed in front.

"I _do _loathe the concept of it as much as _you_, dear Evil-Lyn!", Skeletor says in the same manner. "Even _more_ so than joining up with our most hated enemies! But should Godzilla by any chance succeed in bringing down Castle Grayskull, however remote that may be, the power within will either be lost for good, or _that _infernal creature could _inherit _it all! And when the time _does _come for being in possession of the power of the Elders, it is _I _who shall have it all – _not _some overgrown, bothersome _beast!_"

_We'll see _who _inherits it all, Lord Skeletor!_, Evil-Lyn thought, her eyes facing forward.

"Will this plan even _work?_", Mer-Man wondered. "Our forces were _feeble _compared to Godzilla's might! Even our own Super-Beasts couldn't bring him down!"

"I hate to admit it, but the fish-man is _right!_", Ram Man said. "We've thrown everything we _had _at Godzilla, & he wasn't even _slowed_, let alone stopped!"

"We won't _have _to, Ram Man", He-Man said. "Even now, the Sorceress & Zodak are preparing a contingency plan even as we speak that will get Godzilla off of Eternia. All _we _have to do is delay him until they finish."

_Oh, is _that _all?_, Ram Man said to himself, a look of worry on his face.

The tremors from Godzilla's footsteps get stronger as the Monster King becomes closer to his goal, putting all on alert with their weapons trained on the approaching target. Godzilla's speed increased as the warriors were getting itchy trigger-fingers, anxious to open fire. He-Man held up his left arm to signal all to hold fire until the right moment comes to strike, not to jump the gun just yet. Little by little, Godzilla becomes larger in their sights as the Monster King races across the terrain, eager to mete out the punishment on Grayskull for bringing him onto this strange world he's journeyed to against his will as trees in his path get mercilessly knocked down & crushed.

When he gets to about 100 feet from Grayskull, He-Man decides to give the signal.

"Sy-Klone, Stinkor…_now!_", he shouts.

"We're up!", the wind warrior said.

"Stinkor ready!", he says, placing his hands in front of him & unleashing a thick stream of his pungent odor which Sy-Klone shoots forth as a projectile directly at Godzilla. The Monster King gets hit with Stinkor's god-awful stench at full force in the face that causes him to stop in his tracks & roar in displeasure as even he cannot bear the smell which is the Pelleezeean once called Odiphus in such a massive dose.

Receiving a mouthful of Stinkor's gas that also filled his nostrils, Godzilla grunts in agony that gave He-Man the perfect chance to strike.

"Everyone – _now!_", he shouted, swiftly bringing down his left hand for the signal.

Every laser gun, missile launcher, magic staff & other weapons all went ablaze with energy & projectiles that headed for & struck Godzilla with explosive force, covering him in a thick cloud of smoke adding to Stinkor's mist, which continue to sting his lungs & nostrils in agony. Trees get blasted to splinters as the barrage becomes even more massive as Godzilla's sounds of rage & anguish blared throughout the area.

The assault goes on for five minutes before He-Man gives the signal to stop.

"_Cease fire!_", he called out with a raised fist.

All at once, the barrage stopped as Godzilla was left in a thick smoke cloud that started to dissipate after two or three minutes.

"Everyone okay?", asked Man-At-Arms.

"A little bit shaken up, but otherwise fine", said Buzz-Off, his staff still smoking. "I have to say – that was quite a _blast_ – no pun _intended_, of course!"

"Of course", Duncan & He-Man said with a slight smile.

"It was _worth _it, though!", Beast Man said, grinning. "There ain't _no way _Godzilla could still be standing after all _that!_"

When the smoke was washed away by the day's breeze, a sight greeted them that wiped Beast Man's grin off his face & dropped his jaw, along with everyone else's. Godzilla _was _still standing, his hide riddled with only a few wounds but otherwise unharmed as parts of his person smoked in streams.

"You were _saying_, fur-for-brains?!", Tri-Klops snapped.

"Don't you ever get tired of being _wrong _all the time, animal?!", Man-E-Faces growled in his monster face.

Not only did Godzilla survive the attack, he was about to do so himself as his dorsal spines & mouth lit up.

"Oh, no!", Teela said in a fearful whisper.

"_Scatter!_", He-Man bellowed demandingly as Godzilla shot forth his primary weapon at the hovering armada of warriors. The heroes & villains of Eternia did as He-Man suggested when Godzilla's ray streaked at them, missing the closest by only inches. But while it misses his flying enemies, Godzilla's ray heads straight for Castle Grayskull itself, which _can't _dodge the oncoming projectile.

"_Now_, Zodak!", the Sorceress said, standing in the floating crystal chamber inside the castle's interior with the Cosmic Enforcer. Focusing the energy of these crystals mingled with their own, both magicians strain to create a huge translucent emerald energy barrier that completely covers Castle Grayskull & the deep circular abyss surrounding it.

Not a moment too soon!

Half a second after the ridge of the abyss was covered, Godzilla's heat ray struck the barrier full force which caused it to fluctuate & waver slightly, but still held firm. The Monster King kept his ray fixed on Grayskull's barrier for several seconds before seeing the ineffectiveness, ceasing its flow. Godzilla closes the gap between himself & his objective by leaping into the air & landing right at the base of Castle Grayskull with a massive shake, his fists already pounding madly on the energy barrier, sending shockwaves to the area & to those striving to keep it active.

Sweat poured down the faces of Zodak & the Sorceress, feeling the impact of Godzilla's tantrum blows.

"He's…so _strong_, Zodak!", the Sorceress strained to say. "I underestimated his strength!"

"As have _I_, Sorceress!", the Cosmic Enforcer said, his physical & mystical muscles straining under tremendous pressure. "But we _must_…keep this up until…the gate can be opened!"

The Sorceress sends out a telepathic message to He-Man under the strain.

_He-Man…you need to get Godzilla away from the barrier! Zodak & I cannot _take _much more of this!_

_Copy that, Sorceress! Leave it to me!_, He-Man said back to her in mind as he leapt up onto Godzilla's back & worked his way to the back of his neck on his right. Raising his right fist, Eternia's champion sends it forward with all of his might, striking Godzilla with a thunderous blow that made the Monster King cry out in pain & cease his attack on Grayskull's barrier, taking a few steps back as He-Man delivers another powerful punch. Godzilla cried out again, remembering that human he fought near the Palace who knocked him down.

That same human was hurting him on the back of his neck!

Godzilla wouldn't allow him to do so any longer: whipping his tail around, he smacks the very tip of it where He-Man is – or _was_, for he saw the tail come around & jumped out of the way seconds before it could make impact. All the saurian hit was himself, slapping his own neck but doing no damage.

"_Our _turn, Skeletor!", Evil-Lyn said, pointing her glowing staff at the beast.

"Indeed, dear Evil-Lyn!", Skeletor replied, lighting his own weapon.

Placing their staffs together, Skeletor & Evil-Lyn fire a single blast of blue-white energy at Godzilla's chest as it strikes with powerful sledgehammer force, making him cry out & take a few more steps away from Grayskull. With the partial effectiveness of the diabolical duo's attack, Sy-Klone ups the ante by putting his arms out in front & letting loose with his winds in full force, creating an extreme funnel of wind that hits Godzilla's upper part from chest to head. The winds blurring his vision & the beam hurting his chest, Godzilla lights up his rear plates & mouth, firing his heat ray at the warrior of the winds, his weapon going through the blue & yellow warrior's attack with ease. It makes Sy-Klone break off his assault, nearly getting roasted alive as he dived for cover.

Now it was Skeletor & Evil-Lyn's turn.

Redirecting his weapon, Godzilla fires his ray at both Evil Warrior commanders as they put up a barrier of their own which lasted several seconds before Godzilla broke through with an explosion, sending Skeletor & Evil-Lyn on a trip sprawling back thirty to forty yards before landing hard upon their backs, their hides blackened in spots as thin streams of smoke rose where they were bruised. Evil-Lyn's headrest fell off, revealing her short white hair as Teela came to her side, with Tri-Klops doing the same for Skeletor.

"Skeletor?", the triple-eyed swordsman says.

"He's…so strong", the evil sorcerer says weakly.

"_Too _strong! Should never have…brought him here", Evil-Lyn concurred.

Oddly enough, the Heroic Warriors felt a pang of sympathy for two of the most vile people on all of Eternia. Seeing them in grave pain like they're now in gave Duncan & the other Masters remorse, despite being enemies.

It was more than even He-Man could stand.

_Even _those _two don't deserve punishment like that!_, he thought, his anger rising.

"Take care of those two!", he ordered, turning to Godzilla & leaping straight for the Monster King with all his might, his teeth gritted. His maneuver was so fast, Godzilla didn't have time to spot He-Man until Eternia's champion struck him hard in the chest with tremendous force that the Monster King was sprawled onto his side, just like their first meeting near the Palace in order to rescue survivors & Orko, the latter from underneath his foot.

But, having absorbed Aquadon's energy & making him more resilient & stronger than before, Godzilla rose up immediately, ready to flash-fry Eternia's champion where he stood. A low humming that grew caught his attention as Godzilla & everyone else looked to where it emanated from. At a height of 120 meters in the sky was a shimmer that measured 40 meters long & slightly wider than Godzilla himself. It revealed itself to be a hovering platform with a partly coned cockpit. At the controls of it was a happy & familiar face, who waves at his comrades with a smile.

"Dekker!", Teela & Fisto say in unison, returning the gesture.

"I'm not too late to crash _this _party, am I?", the black man asked in his seat.

"On the contrary, Dekker, you're just in time!", Man-At-Arms said with a grin into his com-unit. "And since you _are _here, why don't you show our comrades what the Grasper is capable of, won't you?"

"Nothing I'd like better, Duncan!", Dekker replied, pressing a few switches.

From underneath the chassis, the Grasper opened a quartet of ports that unleashed a snaking metal coil that had a claw for grasping, hence its name. These toothless claws snatch Godzilla by the wrists & ankles with tight grips as the Monster King pulled on to break free, to no avail. Godzilla tries using his heat ray, but Dekker puts an end to _that _notion before he can administer it.

"Oh no you _don't_, Godzilla!", the black man says, activating a switch that sends forth another from near the cockpit that has a muzzle attached which wraps itself around Godzilla's mouth like a rabid dog's would be. This made Godzilla douse his flame within his mouth & rear fins, rendering it useless. To add insult to injury, a sixth cable gets sprung forth from the center of the underbelly, its claw being considerably larger as it was wide enough to wrap itself around Godzilla's waist & hold him tight. Godzilla fought to get loose when an electric current flowed through each cable, being close to the intensity of the Mechasaurus' own & kept the saurian docile enough to do what needs to be done.

With Godzilla in tow, Dekker activates more switches that partly retract the cables & pull Godzilla up towards the main body. Incredibly, the Grasper wasn't weighed down by Godzilla's own.

"All right, cargo is secure! Where would you want it deposited at, Duncan?", asked Dekker.

It was He-Man that answered.

"Just have him right over the abyss that surrounds Grayskull, Dekker! The Sorceress & Zodak have something special planned for him! I'll be coming on board to lend a hand & help you to make the drop!"

"_Gonna be glad to have _you _aboard this floating boat, He-Man! Come on up!_", Dekker said over Duncan's com-unit before the communication ceased. He-Man & Man-At-Arms share a smile.

"Can I offer you a lift, He-Man?", Buzz-Off asked, floating with his arms out.

"Going up! Top floor, please!", He-Man jokingly said, smiling.

Smiling himself, the Andreenid takes Eternia's hero by the waist & flies on up to the Grasper's side door near the cockpit, briefly taking notice of Godzilla's immense size as they pass by him. Once He-Man was inside & the door closes, Buzz-Off headed back down to the others.

"Even more impressive up close, Man-At-Arms!", he says. "Did _you _come up with this idea?"

"In part, Buzz-Off", Duncan said. "It was something Dekker & I had in the planning stages many years ago when we were still teacher & pupil, but never got the chance to complete it until after Serpos' attack. I apologize for keeping this from everyone, but we felt that the less who knew about it, the better."

"Waiting for the right moment for it to come into good use", Fisto said. "Pretty clever there, bro!"

"It sure _looks _impressive, I'll give it that!", Trapjaw said. "But what's to stop Godzilla from simply breaking or even melting off those cables you've attached him to?"

"He _won't_, Trapjaw!", Man-At-Arms said. "Those cables holding him are all made out of pure Eternium – the planet's strongest metal! Not even _he _can get loose unless we _want _him to be!"

"Meaning this 'surprise' in which He-Man says that the Sorceress & Zodak have in store for him, yes?", Evil-Lyn asks, replacing her headrest as she & Skeletor rise.

"He-Man says we should be seeing it show up at any moment!"

Up in the cockpit, He-Man sat with Dekker as the black man rose up from his seat.

"I'll ready the weapons on the sides & towards the rear, He-Man", he says. "We _both_ know that Skeletor & his vile band are going to turn stool pigeon on & attack us once we get Godzilla off-world."

"And how. Go ahead, Dekker – _I'll _take it from here", He-Man said as Dekker nodded & exited the cockpit, leaving Eternia's hero alone at the helm. The craft shook as Godzilla still attempted to get free, but held steady.

He gets in touch with the Sorceress through telepathy.

He-Man: _Sorceress, are you there?_

The Sorceress: _Yes, He-Man. Is Godzilla set for his trip back home? Zodak & I are just about ready on our end._

He-Man: _And on mine. He's secured – you can open up that portal anytime now._

That said, He-Man saw the force field surrounding Grayskull disappear & was replaced by a shimmer of light fill up into the abyss like some sort of glittering swimming pool that sparkled everywhere. He-Man was glad to have his privacy in the cockpit: he personally wants the pleasure of sending Godzilla back home to himself, with no help from anyone. Ever since Skeletor used that piece of shard from his sword that defeated Serpos to bring Godzilla & his other Super-Beasts to Eternia, he's been nothing but trouble, causing serious destruction & injuries to many people, be it Evil Warrior or Heroic Master. The worst of it all was that several people He-Man cared for most of all were hurt during Godzilla's rampage, including the little Trollan Orko & King Randor & Queen Marlena – his alter-ego's own mother & father. Eternia's hero anxiously awaits for the time to drop Godzilla into the abyss & get rid of the Monster King once & for all.

_If only Skeletor & all the _other _evils on Eternia could be so easy to get rid of_, he thought to himself as he gets the Grasper over the abyss as Godzilla fights more frantically than ever to get free of his Eternium bonds, without any success.

Hovering over right where he needs to be, He-Man gets in contact with the Sorceress again.

He-Man: _Sorceress, this is He-Man. I am now over the abyss & prepared to send Godzilla back home to…just what _is _the name of his home planet anyway? Sorceress?_

When the Sorceress doesn't answer immediately, He-Man started to get worried.

Her abrupt telepathic call back actually took him by surprise ten seconds later.

The Sorceress: _I am here, He-Man, & have received your message. You are free to drop Godzilla back to his home planet – a place called Earth._

The mention of Earth made He-Man think: he seemed to recall when, as Prince Adam as a little boy, his mother Queen Marlena told him of where she came from before arriving on Eternia. He remembered her mentioning Earth, & his heart felt like a ton of weight, more than even he can handle, was dropped onto it that made his breathing come in pants.

He-Man had no idea that Godzilla came from the same planet which his very own mother does, & he was about to send him right back to it.

Suddenly, he didn't feel like going through with doing what he first thought would be an utmost pleasure, much less a simple task.

_No! No, I can't _do _it!_, he thought to himself.

Of course, being a telepath directly linked to He-Man of sorts, the Sorceress still heard his thoughts.

The Sorceress: _He-Man? What is it?_

He-Man: _Sorceress, you're asking me to send Godzilla back to the very planet where my _mother _came from! Why didn't you _tell _me about this before?!_

The Sorceress: _To avoid this very reaction from you, were you to know the truth._

He-Man: _Godzilla doesn't _deserve _to live on the planet that she came from! Can't you & Zodak send him over to another world, where monsters his size can roam freely, with no people to terrorize or kill?_

The Sorceress: _There's no time, He-Man! Zodak & I can only hold this portal open for another few minutes! If it closes before Godzilla enters, it will take too much time to reset it, leaving Godzilla free to terrorize Eternia!_

He-Man: _I don't want him doing so on Earth either! Sorceress, I _forbid _you two to send him back there!_

Now it was Zodak who entered the foray, his own thoughts being sent by the Sorceress into He-Man's mind.

Zodak: _He-Man – Prince Adam – the choice of where Godzilla roams is not yours or even ours to offer. While it's arguable that he may seem out of time & place on Earth as he is on Eternia, a higher force decrees that Godzilla is as much a native of Earth as your mother Queen Marlena once was. I am well aware that you feel differently about the matter, but who are we to tamper with fate?_

He-Man didn't know what to say in response to Zodak's answer, so the Cosmic Enforcer pressed on.

Zodak: _We realize that this is very difficult for you to take in, He-Man, but you must know that what you want is nothing more than a fool's errand. _I _was foolish myself when I _allowed _King Hssss to be freed from the Void, so that I may get my personal revenge for my younger brother, thus endangering Eternia in the process. It was _you _who taught me otherwise, & helped to correct it. Call this as returning the favor._

Now it was the Sorceress who added to the argument.

The Sorceress: _He-Man, Prince Adam, Zodak is right: this is an errand only a _fool _would commence with. And since the day you first appeared to me when I presented to you the Sword of Power to become the hero you are, you have proven to be _no _fool when it came to protecting Eternia. This is one of those times when you have to make a hard choice in order to defend your home, & not sending Godzilla back where he belongs is a simple excuse to _not _go forth with in making it. Part of being a Master of the Universe is _about _making hard choices, He-Man. I told Zodak & even yourself that you have a strong heart & mind to go with your body. Will you falter on such a claim which I have made? Follow your heart, He-Man, & when you do, you alone will find the choice you need to make, regardless of the difficulty it may ensue. But please choose quickly – the portal to Earth will only stay open for another minute or two before it closes!_

With mixed feelings, He-Man struggled & pondered on what the Sorceress & Zodak said, along with whether or not to proceed with executing the plan to send Godzilla back to his regular home. Of all the hard choices they've made on this adventure, from teaming up with Skeletor's forces up to this point, this was _the _hardest of all.

And _only _He-Man can make this particular choice, with less than two minutes to decide.

In three seconds, he makes his choice.

From Below, the Heroic Masters & Evil Warriors all look skyward at the captured Godzilla, waiting for the drop to be made, but instead are wondering as to why He-Man hasn't done so yet.

"What _is _that heroic fool _waiting _for?! He's in position!", Tri-Klops barked impatiently.

"Maybe his controls are _jammed _somehow!", Whiplash answered.

_I doubt it_, Man-At-Arms though, refusing to believe the cause was a malfunction on his part.

"Well then, why don't we be good Samaritans & help to _un_-jam them?", Skeletor suggested, raising his staff at the hovering Grasper, his idea sinking in with his other warriors.

"Good idea!", Evil-Lyn said, pointing her own staff with a smirk.

"Ha-ha! _I'm _up for _that!_", Trapjaw said, aiming his gun arm.

Tri-Klops & Mer-Man also raise their weapons skyward, each with big grins on their faces, ready to discard two birds with one stone. A blast of ancient Eternian winds – courtesy of Sy-Klone – prevents a shootout, knocking the Evil Warriors back before even one shot can be fired.

"Let's just let the scenario play its course, what say you?", the wind warrior asked, his hands spinning in a blur & ready to attack again if need be. The other Masters all gather around & aim their own weapons at their 'partners', keeping them at bay.

"Besides, we've _been _asked to keep a close _eye _on the lot of you!", Man-At-Arms says, his left hand covered in his blaster. Skeletor & his warriors rise to their feet, all set to do battle & end their alliance indefinitely.

A loud clang from above captures everyone's attention, holding off on their renewed scuffle.

What they see was shocking.

"I'm so sorry, mother", He-Man whispered softly, tears running down his face as he presses the release button. The clamps & muzzle which held Godzilla firmly at his limbs & mouth open simultaneously & puts Godzilla into freefall. But almost immediately after the clamps set him loose, the Monster King grabs ahold of two of the dangling cables with a loud clang, shaking the hovering vehicle violently & knocking He-Man out of his seat. Hanging from the cables that used to bind him, Godzilla follows it up by firing his heat ray at the Grasper's underside, tearing a hole from the middle up to the cockpit which He-Man barely dodged. Next, Godzilla whips his tail around at the cockpit & slams into it with enough force to knock Eternia's champion over & out of the hovercraft & into freefall, making his friends below gasp in fright.

The only thing that stops He-Man from falling into the portal himself is by grabbing one of the cable's clamps which he manages to snag with his hands. Unfortunately to his dismay, he lands directly in front of Godzilla, who stares with cold malice in his eyes as the Monster King remembers the one who gave him quite a beating twice while he'd been here on Eternia. Godzilla lights up his dorsal spines as He-Man feels a great dread grow from within him: he knows that even _he _won't be able to survive a point-blank attack from Godzilla's primary weapon, & any attempt to charge the saurian will undoubtedly result in his dropping into the abyss & sent away.

Seeing the predicament He-Man was in, Skeletor & company could hardly contain their joy.

"_Yes_, Godzilla! Wipe He-Man off the face of Eternia! Or better yet, take him home _with _you!", Skeletor says with glee, laughing aloud as his warriors share & join in.

"Ha! If Godzilla _does _get rid of He-Man for us, then maybe summoning him here _was _worth it!", said a very happy Whiplash.

"A small price to pay for the trouble _he_ gave us!", Beast Man adds with a grin.

"He-Man about to go _bye-bye!_", Two Bad's Baddhra said.

"And _good riddance_ to him, too!", says the Tuvar head, giving himself another high-five & chuckling.

"It _could _be well worth it indeed, boys!", Evil-Lyn said when the ground suddenly begins to violently shake & tremble, catching everybody off-guard. Even Godzilla & He-Man take a moment to wonder what was causing this new disturbance, feeling the tremors from where they are.

"W-What's going _on?! _Earthquake?!", Ram Man asks, keeping his feet steady. Just fifty meters away, a geyser of dirt, rocks & trees erupts before something huge & shiny burst forth from the ground. A loud metallic shriek filled all ears as what caused the sound came into view.

"Uh, _hey!_ _Look _who's come back!", Clawful says, pointing with his right claw to the object that's made itself a surprise visit.

It was Mega-Mechasaurus!

"It can't _be!_", He-Man said under his breath, watching the two-headed metal monster making a reappearance as he rushes towards Godzilla, itching for some payback as they ferociously collide into each other. The Monster King loses his grip on the dangling cables as he & Mega-MS both go into freefall with nothing to break it.

Unfortunately, so does He-Man himself, & all three head straight for the abyss.

"_He-Man!_", Teela shouts, watching helplessly as she & the other Masters witness their champion & friend make a speedy plummet into the portal with two giant feuding monsters. Godzilla & Mega-MS were the first to reach & enter the portal: like water going down a drain, Godzilla & Mega-MS get sucked inside, their bodies looking like a distortion as they vanish from sight with only their tails now being the last to enter. Both monsters were completely gone in seconds, with He-Man soon to follow.

Who couldn't stop himself.

"Bon voyage & farewell, He-Man!", Skeletor bellowed, overfilled with joy in seeing his greatest enemy meet his fate. "You'll trouble me & my warriors no longer as you end up with that overgrown monstrosity into…_what?!_"

As Skeletor gloated, Stratos took to the air like a shot, heading straight for He-Man. Putting on a burst of speed, the bird-man catches Eternia's hero five meters from the portal, sparing him Godzilla & Mega-MS' fate.

Skeletor's joy was short-lived as the portal disappeared, returning the abyss to normal.

"A little too close for _comfort_, wouldn't you say?", Stratos says. "I think these freefalls of yours are starting to become quite a bad habit!"

"It's a habit I'm _quite _happy to break!", a grateful He-Man says. "That's _two _I owe you for, Stratos!"

"Really…who's counting?", a smiling Stratos replied, with He-Man returning the gesture.

Both Masters regroup with the others as He-Man draws his sword & shield, ready to go back to business as usual.

"So…_now _who's going to be saying 'bon voyage', Skeletor?", He-Man quips teasingly.

"_I _will, you heroic _insect!_", Skeletor bellowed angrily, pointing his staff at his hated enemy & firing a most powerful blast. Like before, He-Man easily deflects it with his shield as it gets re-directed skywards, doing no further harm. Before Skeletor can fire another shot, a new player arrives & lands with ease on his metal boots, rising to his full height & wearing silver gloves, red chest armor & helmet that covers the top half of his head, two black orbs that serve as eyes. A red double-pointed staff is held in his left hand.

"Zodak!", Skeletor said his name like it was poison, his eyes glowing red.

"Full marks! We're ready when _you _are, Skeletor! Make your move!", the Cosmic Enforcer says. Battle Cat brought up the rear next to He-Man, growling at his enemies.

Skeletor measured his chances in his mind, surveying the scene before him. His battle with Godzilla weakened him & Evil-Lyn immensely, & with Zodak siding with the Masters, his odds of winning in a scuffle were slim to none in their current condition. He still recalls how easily the Cosmic Enforcer was able to bind him & all his warriors to a wall in Snake Mountain when Kobra Khan first attempted to free King Hssss & the Snake Men from the Void. The Dark Prince of the Mystic Arts was barely able to break free from his bonds, & with his energy drained from battling Godzilla, he'd be as good as beaten if he chose to fight.

Therefore, he waits patiently for his ride to arrive.

And arrive they do: telepathically summoned by Beast Man, nine large Griffins emerge from the forest that surrounds Grayskull as nine of the ten Evil Warriors get literally snatched up by their clawed feet & flew off into the sky, with Stinkor getting onto his personal transport in pursuit. Skeletor laughs in gloat, reassuring the Masters that he & his henchmen shall soon return to try again in gaining Grayskull's ultimate power.

In moments, they were all gone from sight, heading in the direction of the Dark Hemisphere.

"Shouldn't we go after them?", Mekaneck asked.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Mekaneck", Man-At-Arms says with a waving dismiss of his hand as his weapon retracts. "Skeletor knows he's beaten this day, & now that we've gotten rid of Godzilla…"

"What _happened _to Godzilla & that mechanical monster anyway?", Buzz-Off wondered.

"They are being sent back to Godzilla's native planet called Earth", Zodak replied, pointing his staff at the castle's front entrance. A bolt of white lightning shoots from one pointed tip of his weapon to form a giant vid-screen which shows a city from Godzilla's home with a clear blue sky as people crowd around an ancient castle as they snap photos with their digital cameras until something happens overhead.

They see two objects falling right towards them.

_Earth, Osakajo District, Osaka, Japan:_

The Japanese were enjoying a crisp, clear day in Japan's third largest city at Osaka Castle – one of the land's most cherished structures, having been brought down & rebuilt on several occasions, becoming an immensely popular tourist attraction for citizens & foreigners alike. Always doing a grand business on a daily basis, people continued to snap pictures for their collections & albums when a strange formation in the sky at a height of 1,000 feet right above Osaka Castle. It swirled like a tornado that was about to form, measuring to a width of 200 feet in circumference, & the police in the area fear it may actually _be _a storm of some kind, & orders an evacuation for all in the vicinity.

As people started fleeing the area at the bridges, two enormous creatures fell from the circle in the sky.

One was completely mechanical, with two heads & tails, four arms, a pair of thick legs & emitted a piercingly loud metallic shriek.

The other creature was one every Japanese citizen recognized instantly.

It was Godzilla.

Both creatures crash-landed atop one of Japan's oldest structures, flattening it instantly in a pile of rubble with a thunderous shake that was felt everywhere. Upon sight of both monsters, everybody from beyond the moat of Osaka Castle also began evacuating at once, wanting to be as far away from the dueling beasts as possible. Alarms blared as horrified citizens flee the terror of Japan that was once thought gone for good has now returned with a vengeance.

Shaking off the impact of their crash-landing, Godzilla throws Mega-Mechasaurus off to his right as the metal monster slides across the mini island before stopping at the edge, creating a crevice in the land. Getting to his feet, Mega-MS found Godzilla already up & fired his heat ray. The metal monster crouched down as the beam struck his shiny surface, hardly doing any damage & reflecting it to the side, destroying a small deserted building to pieces. The mechanical menace rose up & struck back before Godzilla could: launching his brown beams, he strikes the Monster King in the neck & face, staggering & blinding him briefly. Mega-MS uses this to press his advantage by running up to & giving Godzilla a swift hard kick in his solar plexus which sends him flying across & straight into Osaka Castle Hall, demolishing the place on contact. Mega-Mechasaurus leaped across the island & moat, landing where Godzilla had as he fought to get up. Mega-MS grabbed the Monster King with his four arms & threw him into the Hotel New Otani Osaka Hotel, crashing into it in the center as the entire building collapsed on top of him. Mega-MS pressed his attack by forming a brown energy ball with his four hands & firing it in Godzilla's direction, blowing the rest of the building to pieces & burying more rubble on the Monster King. Mega-Mechasaurus leaped over the river & landed feet-first on top of the Theater Brava! building, leveling it to its foundation. People fleeing the vicinity barely escaped with their lives as debris rained down, with still some who were not so fortunate.

The metal monster stood cautiously over the spot where he'd thrown & buried Godzilla, his tail being the only part not covered beneath the debris. No movement came from the tail for over a minute, & Mega-MS declared victory over his enemy & screeched his metallic roar, believing he has won.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Pinpointing his exact location, Godzilla rose his head from the rubble & fired his heat ray at his metal foe, the beam hitting him in the chest as the force knocks him down upon his back, crushing several abandoned cars. Godzilla got to his feet & rushed over to Mega-MS, grabbing the metal beast by one of his four arms & sending himself & his enemy crashing into the building ahead, going through one end & coming out the other as debris litter the streets just below as several people pay the price for not being fast enough to clear the area.

Mega-MS fires his laser beams at Godzilla, which hit the Monster King in the chest & causes him to stagger back into what remained of the building. Struggling to get up, Mega-Mechasaurus grabs an abandoned water truck with his lower left hand & crushes it, spraying its inner contents all over it. His hand immediately turned to a rusted brown & fell apart in pieces as Mega-MS let out a metallic shriek of pain, his lower left arm now in a sparking stump. Godzilla witnesses this occurrence from where he stood, & surmises that wherever his robotic enemy comes from, the substance of water must be non-existent; it has to be as alien to him as the planet Eternia was for them both.

Armed with this indispensable knowledge, Godzilla formulates a plan to deal with his robotic adversary, & with his current battlefield being near rivers of water, he just needs to dunk the metal menace into it & it's all over.

It will be easier said than done, as Mega-MS learned that Godzilla has figured out his Achilles Heel, & will do whatever it takes to stay clear of any water, be it from vehicles or whole bodies of it.

Enraged, Mega-Mechasaurus shrieks in protest before firing a barrage of laser bolts from his mouth, striking the Monster King in the chest with powerful beams & giving him time to rise to his feet. Godzilla grappled with the metal monster, banging his fists into his silver hide & denting it in spots. Mega-MS grabbed Godzilla with his remaining hands & slammed him headfirst into the first Twin 21 Tower near the base as it collapses down upon him like a deck of cards, creating a cloud of dust & smoke that soon cover both monsters from view.

Even before the dust cloud cleared, Mega-MS & Godzilla were going at it like feral animals, pounding/clawing at each other ferociously, creating scratches & bleeding wounds on both combatants. Blinding his enemy with laser blasts, Mega-MS bit down on Godzilla's chest with both of his mouths as the metal fangs penetrated deep into his flesh, causing the Monster King to cry out in pain. The metal monster's vice-like jaws put unbearable pressure on Godzilla's chest – one near his heart. Blood was drawn as the mutant saurian thrashed & smacked his enemy at both heads & back with his hands & tail, but the metal creature ignored it all & kept biting deeper & tighter, making his foe cry out louder.

Unless Godzilla does something, he'll be finished & he knows it.

Fighting through the anguish, Godzilla ignites his spines & mouth to fire his ray. Remembering the cavity that he'd created in Mega-MS, Godzilla launched his ray as close to it as he could.

It wasn't much, but it was still enough: Mega-Mechasaurus cried out in a metallic shriek as he felt his internal systems fry in numerous spots, forcing him to release his mandibles from his prey's chest. Mega-MS unleashes his loudest shrill cry yet, shattering many windows nearby. Rising up from the debris of the first Twin 21 Tower, the Monster King runs into & tackles the metal monster like a football runner with the pigskin who was trying to score a touchdown for his team, smashing the System Laboratory & right into the Hotel Monterey La Soeur Osaka building. His momentum crashes into the hotel, turning it from a structure of beauty into an ugly pile of rubble in seconds. The building gets leveled as both monsters wrestle in what remained of the once-beautiful hotel. His interior still on fire, Mega-MS has trouble focusing on his opponent as Godzilla swats his mechanical foe with his tail that sends the beast flying into the OBP building. It collapses under his tremendous weight, raining debris everywhere. Godzilla fires his heat ray at Mega-MS before he could get up, keeping him pinned as the Monster King makes it over on foot.

Just because his interior was sparking, it didn't mean that Mega-Mechasaurus was done for: from his lower right hand sprang an electric coil which Mega-MS uses to slash at Godzilla across his chest where he'd been bitten. It stunned him only for a few seconds, but it was more than Mega-MS needs: his two upper hands flattened out with his fingers becoming razor-sharp blades which begin to spin rapidly. He then slashes his newfound weapons at Godzilla, cutting him across his chest, neck & face. Each cut was deep, & blood spewed from each fresh cut as Godzilla cried with every injury made. Even his tail received its fair share of cuts, & soon Godzilla was literally seeing red, most of which was his own.

Mega-Mechasaurus gave the Monster King another strike with his electrical lash to the face, stunning him even further before proceeding with a powerful kick to the same area which sent the mutant saurian across city streets until he crashes into the Crystal Tower near street level, going in headfirst. The entire tower caved in on Godzilla in a mess of glass, steel & concrete. Rising up from the debris of the Crystal Tower's remains, Godzilla makes his way to the water where his enemy won't be able to get at him while he thinks of a way to bring him down permanently.

The metal monster has _other _plans: leaping from the ruins of the OBP building to where Godzilla is, Mega-MS grabs the saurian just as he was about to enter the drink & slams him right at the edge before pinning him down using his body, with his legs, twin tails & three hands acting as anchors as they dig themselves into the pavement. The two metallic heads face Godzilla's own as the Monster King fought to pry his enemy loose, with no success.

Mega-Mechasaurus has him trapped but good, & now he was firing his mouth lasers at his face.

All Godzilla could do was cry in pain as the beams hit him point-blank.

He flails his tail wildly – the only part of him that _isn't _pinned down – and strikes his foe hard across his back several times, but it was useless: it was like hitting a mountain & getting no response.

It then splashes into the water, causing a spray that hits Mega-MS with large droplets of it.

_This _got a response: immediately when the droplets hit Mega-MS in the back, the metal monster's surface began rusting wherever hit as he shrieked & ceased his beams in Godzilla's face. His hold on the saurian has also been weakened, his hands, tail & feet all releasing their anchor-like positions on the Monster King. Godzilla took his enemy by his chest cavity, pushing him away & sending him into the river itself. Once Mega-MS has hit the water, he shrieked in agony as his entire body turned a sickly brown in color, spreading like a cancer.

For Mega-Mechasaurus, water _is _cancer.

Taking no chances, Godzilla rose to his full height & fired his heat ray at his rusting enemy, striking him in the chest. In his weakened condition, Mega-MS had no real resistance to Godzilla's primary weapon & exploded within seconds upon contact, the blast throwing the metal monster's remains everywhere as a thick cloud of smoke rose from where Godzilla's mechanical foe once stood. When the cloud dispersed, Mega-MS was nothing but a pile of rusted metal that floated among the city's rivers, convinced that Mega-Mechasaurus was no longer a threat to him.

Godzilla bellowed a victory roar that echoed throughout Osaka. With his enemy no more & being back to where he belongs, Godzilla now ponders on one last choice to make before this day ends.

It was a simple decision from an even simpler mind – land or sea?

_Castle Grayskull, Eternia:_

Zodak, He-Man & the Heroic Masters watched the events unfold on the translucent screen the Cosmic Enforcer displayed, most of them with their hearts palpitating with angst & worry about what Godzilla will do next. He-Man was the most uneasy of the group, afraid of what choice Godzilla will make & wishing he could choose _for _him.

_Just enter the water & leave those frightened people alone in peace – _please_!_, he pleaded.

Even with all his strength at full peak, He-Man has never felt more helpless to do anything, having a decision left to such a terrible & destructive creature. All he _can _do is watch like everyone else & see what route the Monster King will pick.

His choice gets made.

Much to everyone's relief, Godzilla picked going into the water & headed west, sinking until only his head & dorsal spines were visible. He swims out past Osaka districts like Otemae, Nakanoshima, Sakaigawa until he reaches Nankogai Port – from where he first came ashore – before heading south away from Japan & out towards the Pacific Ocean, his path unobstructed by so much as a tugboat. When he gets a mile out to sea, Godzilla submerges himself completely beneath the waves, his presence marked by only a ripple.

With Godzilla no longer in the picture, Zodak ceases projection of his large monitor & makes it vanish with a wave of his staff.

"Just like Skeletor & his band, it seems that Godzilla's had enough excitement these past several days", Stratos clearly pointed out.

"Yeah well, good riddance to him! Fighting the likes of Skeletor & King Hssss is tough enough!", Fisto said as he raises his right fist.

Aside from He-Man & Zodak, the warriors share a joyous laugh that eases the tension of their recent adventure.

"Amen to _that_, Fisto!", Ram Man says. "As tough as they are, I'll gladly take fighting _them _over giant monsters _any _day!"

The living battering ram encouraged another round of good-natured laughter from most. Even Zodak gets in on the bandwagon by forming a little smile from his lips. When Man-E-Faces realizes that He-Man is the only one who's neither laughing _nor _smiling, he begins to get worried.

"Is something wrong, He-Man? You don't seem too happy about our victory", he says in his human face as all eyes turn to Eternia's hero. He-Man quickly retaliates to hide his true feelings.

"Uh…just hard for me to believe that _this _adventure is finally over, Man-E", he says with a slight smile. "I have to admit…it was our _toughest _one yet. You were right before, Mekaneck – this _could've _been a lot worse. But now comes the healing stage & start helping those who were affected by Godzilla's rampage, beginning with the villagers near the Sea of Rakash."

"Leave that to _us_, He-Man", Buzz-Off stated. "Both my people & Stratos' will attend to their needs."

"That we shall", the Avionian said immediately, placing a hand upon his comrade's shoulder.

"Thank you, gentlemen", He-Man says, getting on Battle Cat's saddle. "I'll see you all again for the next crisis that dares to threaten our peaceful way of life here on Eternia. _Come_, Battle Cat!"

He-Man's faithful feline steed roars his approval & takes off with a mighty leap, entering into & disappearing within the forest. The other Masters watch him go, never ceasing to be amazed by the man's timely arrivals & sudden departures on Battle Cat or by his lonesome. Out of the entire group, only Man-At-Arms & Zodak could tell that He-Man was disturbed: Duncan can read the man almost like an open book, while Zodak knew all too well what had been ailing him. Neither of them were fooled or deceived, despite his strong attempts to hide it.

_It hurts, He-Man, I know_, Zodak thought. _But soon you will discover that it was the right choice to make._

Battle Cat ran through the forest for over thirty minutes until he was halted by He-Man, once the man has been convinced that they were alone. With no living soul around, He-Man was finally able to let out his pent-up feelings which he had to hide from everyone else. Unable to contain it any longer, Eternia's hero buried his head in one hand & began to cry as tears ran down his face, not holding anything back.

Unbeknownst to him, the Sorceress watched him express his sorrow from her pyramid throne inside of Castle Grayskull by a mirror summoned with her staff. She saw He-Man cry his heart out over the difficult choice of sending Godzilla back home to where his mother came from, knowing it was probably the hardest choice he's had to made so far as the protector of Eternia.

"I'm so sorry, He-Man", she said softly in part to herself as much as to him. Part of her had _wanted_ to go send Godzilla to another world where there were no humans to frighten, & monsters of his size can roam free in a forest or jungle-like environment. But, being duty-bound to Grayskull as she has vowed long ago prevented her from changing locations; Godzilla is as much a native of planet Earth as Prince Adam's mother Marlena, & no amount of sorrow or anger can ever change that.

It didn't mean that either one has to _like _it.

Tears fall from the Sorceress' eyes as she continued to watch He-Man cry himself.

Both have learned that some battles fought will _not _have a happy fairy-tale ending.

This battle will be one of them.

Battle Cat stayed like a statue as He-Man placed both hands to his face & continued crying.

**EPILOGUE**

_The Royal Palace, four days later:_

In the days that followed, the Masters worked to pick up the pieces of Godzilla's attack on Eternia in the Light Hemisphere, with Buzz-Off & Stratos' people being true to their word assisting the villagers near the Sea of Rakash where Godzilla squared off with Pincer & Aquadon, clearing away rubble & freeing anyone trapped who couldn't get away in time. The people over at the Veridas Village were more than happy to & willing to give them a temporary home until theirs was rebuilt by all hands & the Andreenids & Avionians' ability to create living quarters, the people will have the village refurbished in no time.

At the Royal Palace, things were progressing well: during Godzilla's visit, only minor damage was inflicted & was easily repairable. New vehicles were being manufactured to replace the ones lost to Godzilla, with the scrap of those being hauled away by large electro-magnets to be recycled.

Those who lost their lives were entirely different: like others who give their all right up to the end shall be revered with honor, which is basically the case when those die in battle to keep the freedom for Eternia. All others who were only injured were told that they will make a fine recovery, with only a few more days of rest. Roboto's body was smashed beyond repair, but fortunately his consciousness got transferred into a brand new body with all his original functions, & then some. Even Orko was up & about, his body fully recovered only hours ago.

It was good news to hear throughout the Palace.

Even better, King Randor & Queen Marlena have awoken with only minor cuts & bruises shortly before the battle against Godzilla came to its conclusion. Spending the next few days in bed, they were back on their feet with renewed vitality. The Palace rejoiced upon seeing the King & Queen back on their feet, & their most trusted friends Chief Carnivus, Lord Dactys & King Ceratus were present alongside the Masters & their son Prince Adam, who was overjoyed most of all in seeing his parents doing well, aside from the injuries sustained when Godzilla attacked.

Not as a whole, but a big part of a heavy weight was lifted off his heart, making him feel mostly relieved.

Leaving out a few details, Man-At-Arms gave King Randor & Queen Marlena the full story of the Masters' battle against Godzilla, from teaming up with Skeletor's band to when he was sent back at Castle Grayskull along with Mega-Mechasaurus. Each Master of the Universe told his/her part of the adventure, each version intermingling into one story.

Hearing the details from each Heroic Master stunned King Randor & his three good friends.

What stunned them – and everyone else – more was that Queen Marlena was _familiar _with the creature called Godzilla, & she explained his origins to all in the room as best she could recall about the monster, starting with the atomic bomb that gave him a rebirth to the times he'd attacked the country called Japan, destroying its cities & even fending off several other monsters.

Everyone in the room murmured to one another upon hearing new info about the monster they've faced.

"I…I had no _idea _that you _knew _of this 'Godzilla', Marlena!", Randor says, clearly astonished as he takes his wife's hand into his.

"All too well, I'm afraid", Marlena says, holding her husband's hands as she addresses him & the crowd even further. "Before I arrived here on Eternia, there's a memory of which still haunts me to this day: it was one summer vacation I was having from school when I was twelve years old. My parents were heading to Japan for a business trip & wanted to take me along for a bit of a learning experience. We arrived in the city of Tokyo to stay for at least two whole weeks, when _he _showed up. He rose out of Tokyo Bay & laid waste to the city, destroying many buildings & killing & injuring countless people in his wake of destruction. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces did everything to stop him as best they could, but it only resulted in their deaths as Godzilla let loose with the heat ray he emits from his mouth. That, & his blaring roar, were _terrible _sounds to sting our ears. My parents & I were barely able to escape the monster's wrath, making it to the airport & taking the first plane back to the United States. I shall _never _forget that moment: even now as I am light-years away from Earth, the scenes of death & destruction Godzilla caused during our trip to Tokyo still disturbs me deeply."

"It's no _wonder _why Skeletor had wanted him so badly", King Ceratus said. "Truth be told, if _I _wanted a giant beast to destroy _my _enemies, I too would've chosen this Godzilla creature to help me do it."

"Only Godzilla didn't feel like playing by Skeletor's rules, & it nearly cost the fiend his life, having learned that lesson the _hard _way like he does everything else", Lord Dactys said, getting nods from all.

"Considering what we've been told of Godzilla…maybe it was a _mistake _for He-Man to send him back to your home planet Earth, Queen Marlena", Chief Carnivus said. "I can't help but wonder what that creature's putting those people through even as we speak."

Marlena walks up to Carnivus with her husband by her side. A smile on her face greeted him as she takes his clawed hand into hers.

"Chief Carnivus, your concern for the people of my homeworld is most appreciated", she says kindly. "But, as strange & possibly disturbing as it may seem, Godzilla's home _is _the Earth. For reasons unknown to _any _of us, a high power decrees that Godzilla stay a native to Earth, regardless of how destructive he may be."

"Then He-Man…"

"Made the right choice after all. Yes, Chief Carnivus", she finished for him.

_You too, mom?_, Prince Adam thought, remembering as He-Man what Zodak said to him just before sending the monster into the portal & back to his native home.

"You have a most remarkable wife, King Randor", Carnivus says proudly.

"She has a most remarkable _husband_, my friend", Randor replied with a smile, taking his wife into his arms & kissing her lips. The crowd cheered as Randor raised his hand, quieting everyone.

"My dear friends & good protectors, why don't we all take this day & use it as not only a continuation of our wedding anniversary, but also to pay a loving tribute to those who have given their lives in defense of our home?"

A chorus of clapping gave the King & Queen his answer, as they all gathered around the tables of food & took what they desired, eating delicately while chatting with friends. Only Prince Adam didn't feel like celebrating, aside from being glad his parents were alive & well again. He started exiting the room & everyone in it when Teela caught up to & stopped him.

"Adam? Where are _you _heading off to?", she asked with worry. "Aren't you going to enjoy the festivities with the rest of us, including your mother & father? It'd mean a lot to them, considering what they've been through."

"I'm just not in a partying mood right now, Teela", Adam replied which stunned the warrior girl.

"_You? _Not in a party mood? _That's _something for the records!", she teased. "Usually you can't _wait _to…"

"I'm just _not_, okay?!", he snapped back, both surprising & quieting her. Realizing she didn't deserve a nasty rebuke, Adam had apologized quickly to her.

"Forgive me for snapping back like that, Teela. It _was_ uncalled for. It's just that…"

Teela placed a hand on his shoulder & turned him to face her. It was much more gentle than what she was used to doing with him, & her face was that of sympathy rather than irritation.

"No worries. Listen, Adam…you're _no _He-Man, & maybe I _do _push you a little too hard at times, but…", she started to say. "Please know I'm _there _for you whenever you need it."

It was a stunning revelation for Adam: since they were little, they have been in constant odds with each other, always trying to be better at everything in competition, be it in combat training or playing a simple game. And since Adam learned from the Sorceress that he was gifted with the power of He-Man, his running from danger when he was needed most in order to _become _He-Man in secret from her made something more of a rift between them. To hear her tell him that she's there for him like that was odd.

But, whether or not it was over concern for what happened to his parents, it wasn't unwelcome.

"Thank you, Teela. That means a lot – more than you know", Adam says as both teens smile.

"So…what say you & I resume in enjoying your parents' wedding anniversary with everybody else?", Teela asked. "Good times like this don't come along every day, you know."

"You go ahead, Teela. Adam will join you momentarily", Man-At-Arms said with Orko floating by his side. "I have a few things to discuss with the young Prince."

"See you inside, Adam", she said before doing so herself, leaving the trio alone. Duncan took Adam over to a vacant balcony & made sure no one else was around before commencing.

"So…how _have _you been holding up these last few days?", he asks. "Are you _still _grieving over the choice you made in sending Godzilla back home?"

"What do _you _think, Man-At-Arms?", Adam politely snapped back. "I sent him back to the birth world of my mother – _my own mother!_ You any reason as to why I _shouldn't _feel guilty about that?!"

Man-At-Arms placed his hand on the Prince's shoulder.

"Adam, mere words cannot express how terrible I feel for both you _and _about the choice that you made back at Grayskull", Duncan said. "But I'm sure even you must realize it was the _only _logical choice to make at that point. If even your own mother decreed that Godzilla belongs on Earth as much as Zodak or even the Sorceress do, then what more is there to say on the matter? He certainly couldn't have stayed _here_."

"Yeah, no kidding! If only the Sorceress could've found _another _way to get rid of him!"

"I know, Adam. But sending him back to his rightful home was the only choice there was in order to be rid of Godzilla. It was either that, or _kill _him."

"Truth be told, _that _was something I was _more _than willing to do – after what he _did _to my parents!"

"I can understand how you must've felt at that point, Adam. But vengeance is like a disease – it can affect you in ways that would turn you into your own worst enemy, making you just as bad as those you're destined to stop."

The young Prince gave the matter serious thought. Even before he possessed the power of He-Man for his 16th birthday, Man-At-Arms has always been at his side every moment that he could, training him in battle with & without his daughter Teela, preparing him for that fateful day he would eventually become Eternia's champion, something the Sorceress herself predicted would happen the day when Skeletor & his Evil Warriors would finally succeed in taking down the Mystic Wall that kept them secure in the Dark Hemisphere for many years. Adam didn't believe Duncan or even the Sorceress when they first told him that the 'great warrior' she mentioned to Duncan & Randor long ago when Keldor & his forces attacked the Hall of Wisdom that _he _would be that very person. It did take some convincing for Adam, but eventually he had come to accept the role of He-Man with every crisis that passes. Along with the Sorceress herself, Adam has Man-At-Arms to thank for his literal transformation from boyhood to manhood.

"You're right, Man-At-Arms – as always", Adam says. "It's just…"

"Do you honestly think _I _wasn't upset when your parents were hurt in Godzilla's attack?", Duncan says. "The King is one of my greatest allies in battle, not to mention my best friend when we were under Dekker's tutelage. But I know for a fact that Randor would _never _want me to spend my days on a revenge binge to some creature that was brought here against its will. No, Dekker taught me better than that, & I'm glad _you _were able to learn that very lesson yourself."

"And look at it _this _way, Prince Adam", Orko steps in. "Your parents recovered completely, & with no serious injuries. Plus, they're resuming with the festivities of their anniversary – almost as if they've never been injured to begin with. _That's _strength & commitment if I ever saw it!"

"Point taken! Thanks, Orko!", Adam said with a grin.

"Besides – who _wants _to see He-Man kill? Not _me_."

"_Another _touché! You're smarter than you look, Orko! Stronger, too – nice to see you _and_ Roboto doing well after Godzilla gave you two the works!"

"Indeed we are, Prince Adam!", Roboto said, walking up to the trio. "A downloading of my consciousness into a new body, & I'm back on duty! Can I escort you to the party? Your parents have been wondering where you've been, & have requested for your company."

An extended hand & Man-At-Arms' nodding approval gave Adam all the persuasion he needs.

"Let's not disappoint them, Roboto", he says, allowing himself to be escorted by Duncan's creation. Orko was floating right on their tail when Man-At-Arms called for & stopped him in his tracks.

The little Trollan turned to face the man, whose face made him worried that he might get another scolding like he usually gets whenever they cross paths.

"Y-Yeah, Man-At-Arms?", Orko said nervously when he didn't get a response, staring into his hard face before it lightens up.

"I owe you my life, Orko", Duncan said sincerely. "Were it not for you, my daughter Teela would now have no father to look after her. You were right before – we don't _ever _leave our own people to die, _much less _left behind."

"But of _course _we don't! We're not _Skeletor's _men, don't forget!", Orko said in playful defense.

That enticed a hearty laugh from Duncan, putting an arm around the floating Trollan.

"Not at all, Orko! Our compassion for our fellow man is what _separates _us from Skeletor, & we must never let that diminish _or_ be forgotten! Otherwise – what would be the _point_ of it all? Thanks again, Orko."

"Heck – you'd do the same for _me_, right?", Orko asks.

"In a heartbeat. Now let's go join up with the others before _we're _denied all the fun!"

"Wahoo! Count _me _in!", Orko said, freeing himself from Duncan's grip & doing a happy twirl before heading off to the party. A smiling Man-At-Arms watched him go, wondering if he'll end up with egg on _his _face which is mostly the case when the Trollan performs his magic.

After what he _almost _went through with Godzilla, it'd be a welcome relief – for once.

Duncan followed Orko to the party seconds later.

_Late in the evening:_

When the party died down, all the guests were given their own personal retiring quarters to spend the night at the Palace before leaving in the morning back to their native cities. Unlike last time, it went well without incident _or _an embarrassment by Orko, & everyone enjoyed themselves fully throughout.

Prince Adam stared out of his bedroom window, not being sleepy as of yet. He stared at the nighttime sky of Eternia's twin moons shining bright from above. Despite the reassurance of the Sorceress, Zodak, Man-At-Arms or even his own mother, he still has mixed feelings about sending Godzilla back home to Earth, & wonders: _could _there have been another way to be rid of the Monster King rather than sending him to his native planet, where the people are all but defenseless against his powerful might? Should he – as He-Man – have been more demanding to Zodak & the Sorceress about sending him to a world Godzilla would be more than happy to live in, free from mankind's fear & harassments of him?

These thoughts & more continue to plague Adam's mind, with no easy answers to any of them.

Whether his decision will come back to haunt him, he doesn't know.

It was up to Father Time. Not him.

**MEMORIALS:**

2004 Memorials:

Lincoln Kilpatrick, Actor of Stage, Film & Television, 72 (1932-2004)

June Carroll, Singer, Lyricist & Actress, 86 (1917-2004)

William Hart Jr., Son of Famed 1920s Cowboy Movie Star, 81 (1922-2004)

Gary Ballman, Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Player for Steelers, Eagles, Giants & Vikings, 63 (1940-2004)

Ronald Reagan, Former President of the United States & Actor, 93 (1911-2004)

Robert Wolfe Quine, Punk Rock Musician & Guitarist, 61 (1942-2004)

Ray Charles, Singer-Songwriter, Musician & Composer Known as 'The Genius', 73 (1930-2004)

Roosevelt Brown, NFL Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle for New York Giants, 71 (1932-2004)

Doris Dowling, Actress of Stage, Film & Television, 81 (1923-2004)

Stanley Gortikov, Longtime President of Recording Industry & Ex-Head of Capitol Records, 85 (1919-2004)

Anthony J. Hope, Son of Comedian Bob Hope, 63 (1940-2004)

Marlon Brando, Oscar-Winning Actor of Stage & Screen, 80 (1924-2004)

Peter Barnes, English Olivier-Winning British Playwright & Screenwriter, 73 (1931-2004)

Eric Douglas, Actor, Stand-Up Comedian & Youngest Son of Actor Kirk Douglas, 46 (1958-2004)

Bob Hagen, Retired Radio News Reporter & Anchor, 68 (1936-2004)

Paula Danziger, American & European Children's Author, 59 (1944-2004)

Rudolph 'Rudy' A. LaRusso, NBA All-Star, 66 (1937-2004)

Isabel Sanford, Actress Best Known as Louise 'Weezy' Jefferson on TV's 'The Jeffersons', 86 (1917-2004)

Phoebe Brand Carnovsky, Actress of Stage, 99 (1904-2004)

Ersel Hickey, Hall of Fame Rockabilly Singer, 70 (1934-2004)

Joe Gold, Fitness Icon & Founder of Gold's Gym Fitness Center Chain, 82 (1922-2004)

Walter Wager, Crime & Espionage-Thriller Novelist, 79 (1924-2004)

Arthur Kane, Bassist for Glam Rock Band New York Dolls, 55 (1949-2004)

Dorothy Hart, Film Actress Best Known for 1948's 'The Naked City', 82 (1922-2004)

Georgine Darcy, Dancer & Actress Best Known for 'Miss Torso' in 1954's 'Rear Window', 73 (1931-2004)

Illinois Jacquet, Famed Jazz tenor Saxophonist, 81 (1922-2004)

Jerry Goldsmith, Oscar-Winning Composer-Conductor for Film & Television, 75 (1929-2004)

Jackson Beck, Voice Announcer Best Known for Radio's 'The Adventures of Superman', 92 (1912-2004)

Eugene Roche, Character Actor & the Original 'Ajax Man' in 1970s TV Commercials, 75 (1928-2004)

Bob Murphy, Famed Sports Announcer Hall of Famer, 79 (1924-2004)

2014 Memorials:

Karen Walter Goodwin, Producer of Broadway Hits, 66 (1948-2014)

Gilbert Ashwell, Pioneer in Biochemistry, 97 (1916-2014)

On Kawara, Japanese Conceptual Artist who Explored Passage of Time, 81 (1933-2014)

Umaru Dikko, Prominent Northern Politician During the Second Republic, 78 (1936-2014)

Eleni Vavas, Cardiologist & Cancer Fighter, 37 (1977-2014)

Walter Dean Myers, Best-Selling & Prolific Children's Author, 76 (1937-2014)

Stephen Gaskin, Hippie Leader who Founded Enduring 'The Farm' Commune, 79 (1935-2014)

Louis Zamperini, Olympic Distance Runner & World War II Veteran, 97 (1917-2014)

Louis Brown Jr., Father of O.J. Simpson's Ex-Wife Nicole Brown-Simpson, 90 (1923-2014)

Alan Dixon, Former United States Senator, 86 (1927-2014)

Richard Mellon Scaife, Influential U.S. Conservative, 82 (1932-2014)

Herbert Berman, Longtime NYC Councilman, 80 (1933-2014)

Metropolitan Volodymyr, Head of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, 78 (1935-2014)

Eduard Shevardnadze, Former Soviet Foreign Minister & Georgian President, 86 (1928-2014)

Alfredo Di Stefano, Argentina Soccer Great for Real Madrid, 88 (1926-2014)

James Turk, Judge in Virginia Prison Sex Materials Case, 91 (1923-2014)

Dick Jones, Actor Best Known for Providing the Voice for Disney's 'Pinocchio' in 1940, 87 (1927-2014)

Tom Veryzer, 12-Year Major Leaguer, 61 (1953-2014)

Eileen Ford, Modeling Agency Founder, 92 (1922-2014)

Don Wright, Advocate for Alaska Native Lands, 84 (1929-2014)

John Seigenthaler, Journalist & One-Time Aide To Robert Kennedy, 86 (1927-2014)

Zohra Sehgal, Actress & Dancer of Stage & Screen, 102 (1912-2014)

Charlie Haden, Jazz Bassist & Member of Ornette Coleman Quartet, 76 (1937-2014)

Matt Bendik, Boyfriend of 'Glee' Star Becca Tobin, 35 (1978-2014)

Dave Legeno, Actor Known for Playing 'Harry Potter' Nemesis Fenris Grayback, 50 (1963-2014)

Rosemary Murphy, Emmy Award-Winning Actress, 89 (1925-2014)

Tommy Ramone, Last Surviving Original Member of Ramones Rock Band, 65 (1949-2014)

Lorin Maazel, Noted Composer, Conductor, Maestro & Violinist, 84 (1930-2014)

Ken Gray, Former United States Representative & World War II Veteran, 89 (1924-2014)

Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Prize-Winning South African Author, 90 (1923-2014)

Louis Klotz, Basketball Barnstormer who Owned Washington Generals, 93 (1921-2014)

Alice Coachman, First Black Woman to Win An Olympic Gold Medal, 90 (1923-2014)

Rosalind Nyman Joel, Mother of Singer-Songwriter Billy Joel, 92 (1922-2014)

James MacGregor Burns, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian & Political Scientist, 95 (1918-2014)

Fred Ordway III, Prominent NASA Engineer & '2001: A Space Odyssey' Adviser, 87 (1927-2014)

Otto Piene, Noted German Artist, 86 (1928-2014)

Johnny Winter, Legendary Blues Guitarist, 70 (1944-2014)

Elaine Stritch, Compelling Legendary Actress of Stage & Screen, 89 (1925-2014)

Lionel Ferbos, Centenarian Jazz Musician, 103 (1911-2014)

William Dumpson, Ex-Negro Major Leaguer & Harlem Globetrotter, 84 (1930-2014)

James Garner, Legendary Actor of Film & Television, 86 (1928-2014)

Skye McCole Bartusiak, Actress Best Known as Mel Gibson's Daughter in 2000's 'The Patriot', 21 (1992-2014)

Robert Panara, Leading Educator of the Deaf & Pioneer of Deaf Culture, 94 (1920-2014)

Dan Borislow, Inventor of Net Calling Device MagicJack, 52 (1961-2014)

Karl Albrecht, Co-Founder of Aldi Grocery Store Empire, 94 (1920-2014)

John Fasano, Noted Hollywood Filmmaker From Long Island, 52 (1961-2014)

Henry Hartsfield, Former Astronaut at NASA, 80 (1933-2014)

Sam Koch, Massachusetts Men's Soccer Coach, 59 (1954-2014)

Ray Lonnen, British Actor Played in Spy Series 'The Sandbaggers', 74 (1940-2014)

Robert Newhouse, Running Back for the Dallas Cowboys, 64 (1950-2014)

Joep Lange, AIDS Researcher & Advocate, 59 (1954-2014)

Thomas Collins, Newsday Columnist, 84 (1929-2014)

Alan C. 'Ace' Greenberg, CEO of Bear Stearns Cos., 86 (1927-2014)

Bel Kaufman, Author of Million-Selling 'Up The Down Staircase' Book, 103 (1911-2014)

Thomas Berger, Author of Best-Selling Novel 'Little Big Man', 89 (1924-2014)

Carlo Bergonzi, Noted Italian Tenor, 90 (1924-2014)

Elaine Brody, Social Worker & Pioneer of Gerontology, 91 (1922-2014)

Paul Schell, Former Mayor of Seattle, 76 (1937-2014)

Joseph Aguilera, U.S. Army Veteran & TWA Pilot, 81 (1932-2014)

Sheik Umar Khan, Sierra Leone's Top Ebola Doctor, 39 (1975-2014)

Margot Alder, NPR Journalist for Three Decades, 68 (1946-2014)

Andrew Hughes, Lawyer & Former Editor at Newsday, 91 (1922-2014)

James Shigeta, Actor Known for Roles in 'Flower Drum Song' & 'Die Hard', 81 (1933-2014)

Theodore VanKirk, Last Surviving Member of Crew That Dropped Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, 93 (1921-2014)

Jessica Blyth Barrymore, Half-Sister of Actress Drew Barrymore, 47 (1966-2014)

Wallace 'Wah Wah' Jones, University of Kentucky Basketball Star, 88 (1926-2014)

Robert Drew, Cinema Verite Documentarian, 90 (1924-2014)

Robert Halmi Sr., Prolific Television Producer, 90 (1924-2014)

Peter Marquardt, Actor & Video Game Producer, 50 (1964-2014)

Dick Wagner, Guitarist for Rocker Alice Cooper & Others, 71 (1942-2014)

Dick Smith, Oscar-Winning 'Godfather of Makeup' Artist, 92 (1922-2014)

Manny Roth, Greenwich Village Club Owner, 94 (1918-2014)

Elias Joseph Stetz, Former Navy Commander, 81 (1933-2014)

Pete Van Wieren, Broadcaster for the MLB's Atlanta Braves, 69 (1944-2014)

Michael Johns, One-Time Contestant on 'American Idol', 35 (1978-2014)

Jon Cavaiani, Vietnam War Hero & Medal of Honor Recipient, 70 (1943-2014)

Billie Letts, Best-Selling Author, 76 (1938-2014)

Ralph Davidson, Former Chairman of Time Inc., 86 (1927-2014)

James Brady, Press Secretary to Ronald Reagan & Advocate Against Gun Violence, 73 (1940-2014)

Stanley Ross, London-Based Eurobond Trader, 83 (1930-2014)

Steve Post, Longtime Radio Personality of WNYC, 70 (1944-2014)

Warren Bennis, Leadership Expert, 89 (1925-2014)

Jesse Steinfeld, Surgeon General Ousted by Richard Nixon, 87 (1927-2014)

Ed Sprinkle, Star Defensive End for Chicago Bears, 90 (1923-2014)

Joshu Sasaki Roshi, Japanese Zen Teacher, 107 (1907-2014)

Harold J. Greene, Two-Star Army General, 55 (1959-2014)

Laura Plimpton, Younger Sister of Martha Stewart, 59 (1955-2014)

Marilyn Burns, Actress Best Known for 1974's 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 65 (1949-2014)

Jake Hooker, Guitarist for Rock/Pop Band Arrows & Songwriter, 61 (1953-2014)

Julio Grondona, Argentine Soccer President, 82 (1931-2014)

Chung Eun-Yung, Survivor of Korean War Atrocity Committed by U.S., 91 (1923-2014)

Menahem Golan, Veteran Israeli Filmmaker, 85 (1929-2014)

Charles Keating, Soap Opera Star, 72 (1941-2014)

William McIlwain Jr., Former Newsday Editor & Novelist, 88 (1925-2014)

Ed Joyce, Former News President at CBS, 91 (1932-2014)

Robert Erly, Retired Navy Rear Admiral & Pearl Harbor Survivor, 100 (1914-2014)

Dorothy Davis, Prize-Winning Mystery Writer, 98 (1916-2014)

Lee Surut, Retired Army General & Vietnam Veteran that Led National War College, 89 (1925-2014)

Richard Marowitz, World War II Veteran who Helped Liberate Dachau & Found Hitler's Top Hat, 88 (1926-2014)

Henry Stone, Co-Founder of Famed TK Records, 93 (1921-2014)

Charles Payne, World War II Veteran & Great-Uncle of President Barrack Obama, 89 (1925-2014)

Kevin Ward Jr., Innocent Victim of Crash Caused by NASCAR Driver Tony Stewart, 20 (1994-2014)

Vladimir Beara, Medal-Winning International Goalkeeper, 85 (1928-2014)

Allen Krietsch, World War II Veteran, 90 (1924-2014)

Robin Williams, Legendary Oscar-Winning Actor & Comedian, 63 (1951-2014)

Lauren Bacall, Legendary Actress of Hollywood's Golden Age, 89 (1924-2014)

Robert Richards, Decorated Retired Marine, 28 (1986-2014)

June Krauser, Record-Winning Masters Swimmer, 88 (1926-2014)

Dotty lynch, Political Female Pollster, 69 (1945-2014)

Raymond Berthillon, Founder of Celebrated Paris Ice Cream Parlor which Bears His Name, 90 (1924-2014)

Ed Nelson, Actor Starred in 1960s Prime-Time Soap Opera 'Peyton Place', 85 (1928-2014)

Simone Camilli, AP Video Journalist, Newsman & Storyteller, 35 (1979-2014)

Emigdio Vasquez, Chicano Art Pioneer, 75 (1939-2014)

Gordy MacKenzie, Longtime Baseball Manager, Coach & Player, 77 (1937-2014)

George Hansen, Former Representative from Idaho, 83 (1930-2014)

Jay Adams, Icon of Skateboarding, 53 (1961-2014)

Arlene Martel, Actress Best Known as Spock's Bride-To-Be in 1960s 'Star Trek' Episode, 78 (1936-2014)

Peter Scholl-Latour, One of Postwar Germany's Most Famous Correspondents, 90 (1924-2014)

Terence Todman, Former United States Ambassador to Six Nations, 88 (1926-2014)

Sophie Masloff, First Female Mayor of Pittsburgh, 96 (1917-2014)

Lawrence Kaplan, Economist & World War II Veteran, 98 (1916-2014)

James Jeffords, Former Vermont Senator who Became Independent, 80 (1934-2014)

Fernand St. Germain, Former Congressman from Rhode Island, 86 (1928-2014)

Eroni Kumana, Solomon Native who Saved JFK During World War II, 93 (1921-2014)

Herodotus 'Dan' Damianos, Wine Pioneer & Founder of Pindar Vineyards, 82 (1931-2014)

Don Pardo, Indelible Voice of 'Saturday Night Live' for Nearly 40 Years, 96 (1918-2014)

Corey Griffin, Raised $100,000 in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, 27 (1986-2014)

Simin Behbahani, Famed Iranian Poet, 87 (1927-2014)

Licia Albanese, Revered Metropolitan Opera Soprano, 105 (1909-2014)

B.K.S. Iyengar, Indian Yoga Guru, 95 (1918-2014)

James Foley, Photojournalist Executed by ISIS Militant Group, 41 (1973-2014)

Albert Reynolds, Former Irish Prime Minister, 81 (1932-2014)

Brad Parker, Veteran Rock Climber, 36 (1978-2014)

Joseph Bennett, Jamaican Folk Musician Performer, 76 (1938-2014)

Edmund Szoka, Cardinal & Former Vatican City Governor, 86 (1927-2014)

Steven Nagel, Former Astronaut for NASA, 67 (1946-2014)

Deborah Sussman, Environmental Graphic Designer, 83 (1931-2014)

Toby Massey, Photo Editor for the Associated Press, 80 (1934-2014)

Peter Grosslight, Longtime Los Angeles Music Agent, 68 (1946-2014)

Robert Sherrill, Independent Journalist, 89 (1924-2014)

Alan Landsburg, TV Movie Producer, 81 (1933-2014)

Richard Attenborough, Award-Winning Actor, Film Director, Producer & Entrepreneur, 90 (1923-2014)

George Barrett, Longtime Tennessee Civil Rights Lawyer, 86 (1927-2014)

Philippine de Rothschild, Wine Baroness & Professional Actress, 80 (1933-2014)

John Akers, Former CEO of International Business Machines Corp., 79 (1934-2014)

Enrique Zileri, Longtime Director of Peru's Leading News Magazine, 83 (1931-2014)

John G. Sperling, Founder of University of Phoenix, 93 (1921-2014)

Richard Dauenhauer, Scholar of Tlingit Language, 72 (1942-2014)

Helen Bamber, Cared for World War II & Genocide Victims, 89 (1925-2014)

Alfredo Martini, Former Cycling Coach for Italy, 93 (1921-2014)

William Greaves, Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker, 87 (1926-2014)

Ahmed Seif, Prominent Egyptian Rights Lawyer, 63 (1951-2014)

Frank E. Marble, Leader in Development of Rockets, 96 (1918-2014)

Bill Kerr, Australian Actor, Radio Star & Comedian, 92 (1922-2014)

Gladys Keating, Former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, 91 (1923-2014)

Sandy Wilson, Author, Composer & Lyricist who Wrote 'The Boy Friend', 90 (1924-2014)

Glenn Cornick, Original Bass Player for Rock Band Jethro Tull, 67 (1947-2014)

John 'Jack' Kraft, Former Villanova Head Basketball Coach, 93 (1921-2014)

Werner Franz, One of Last Surviving Crew Members of the Hindenburg, 92 (1922-2014)

Lida Moser, Photographer who Captured City Life in NYC, 93 (1920-2014)

Valeri Petrov, Bulgaria's Leading Poet, 94 (1920-2014)

Manuel Pertegaz, One of Spain's Most Admired Fashion Designers, 96 (1918-2014)

Joseph Persico, Best-Selling Author & Historian, 84 (1930-2014)

Yves Carcelle, Former Louis Vuitton CEO, 66 (1948-2014)

Carol Vadnais, Former Defenseman for the New York Rangers, 68 (1945-2014)

Stan Goldberg, Comic Book Artist for Marvel, DC & Archie, 82 (1932-2014)

Jimi Jamison, Lead Singer for Group Survivor, 63 (1951-2014)

Steven Joel Sotloff, American Journalist, 31 (1983-2014)

Gottfried John, German Actor & Comedian, 72 (1942-2014)

EunB, Singer for Korean Group Ladies' Code, 22 (1992-2014)

Kwon Ri-se aka RiSe, Singer for Korean Group Ladies' Code, 23 (1991-2014)

Andrew Madoff, Son of Bernard Madoff, 48 (1966-2014)

Stephen D. Isaacs, Journalist who was Editor at The Washington Post, 76 (1937-2014)

Elizabeth Egbert, President & CEO of the Staten Island Museum, 69 (1945-2014)

Sergio Rodrigues, Celebrated Designer of Popular 'Mole' Chair, 86 (1927-2014)

Charlie Powell, NFL Player for Detroit Lions & One-Time Boxer, 82 (1932-2014)

Bruce Hodgman, Veteran Newsman for The Associated Press for 39 Years, 76 (1938-2014)

Joan Rivers, Comedy Legend, TV Host & Fashion Icon, 81 (1933-2014)

Gustavo Cerati, Lead Singer of Argentine Rock Band Soda Stereo, 55 (1959-2014)

Bernard Fisher, Medal of Honor-Winning Air Force Pilot, 87 (1927-2014)

Bruce Morton, Longtime Correspondent for CBS & CNN, 83 (1930-2014)

Simone Battle, Singing Contestant on TV's 'X-Factor' & Member of G.R.L. Group, 25 (1989-2014)

Andrew McLaglen, Prolific Veteran Director of Westerns for Film & Television, 94 (1920-2014)

Graham Joyce, British Writer of Speculative Fiction, 59 (1954-2014)

Gerald Wilson, Jazz Big Band Leader, Composer & Arranger, 96 (1918-2014)

Bobby Fong, Former Ursinus University President, 64 (1950-2014)

Chaninah Maschler, College Educator & Holocaust Survivor, 82 (1931-2014)

Marvin Barnes, Former Basketball Player for ABA & NBA, 62 (1952-2014)

S. Truett Cathy, Billionaire & Founder of Chick-fil-A Restaurant, 93 (1921-2014)

Molly Glynn, Chicago Theater Actress, Starred in NBC TV's 'Chicago Fire', 46 (1968-2014)

Sean O'Haire, Professional Wrestler, Mixed Martial Artist & Kickboxer, 43 (1971-2014)

Bob Suter, NHL 'Miracle On Ice' Team Member, 57 (1957-2014)

Austin Gonsoulin, Former Denver Broncos Great, 76 (1938-2014)

Tibor Rudas, Impresario for Luciano Pavarotti, the Three Tenors & Others, 94 (1920-2014)

Richard Kiel, Actor Best Known as 'Jaws' in 2 James Bond Films, 74 (1939-2014)

Penelope Niven, Noted Cultural Figure Biographer, 75 (1939-2014)

Cosimo Matassa, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, 88 (1926-2014)

Donald Sinden, British Actor of Stage, Screen & Television, 90 (1923-2014)

Rev. Ian Paisley, Northern Ireland's Most Polarizing Politician, 88 (1926-2014)

Antony Kidman, Father of Actress Nicole Kidman (age not provided)

John Bardon, English Actor Best Known for British Soap Opera 'EastEnders', 75 (1939-2014)

Stefan Gierasch, Veteran Actor, 88 (1926-2014)

Bob Crewe, Singer & Four Seasons Songwriter, 82 (1931-2014)

Frank Torre, Former World Series Star & Older Brother of Joe Torre, 82 (1931-2014)

David Haynes, British Aid Worker, 44 (1970-2014)

Joe Sample, Pianist, Composer & Founding Member of Jazz Crusaders, 75 (1939-2014)

Andrew Kay, Inventor of Pioneered Compact Computer, 95 (1919-2014)

Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., Influential Lawyer & Lobbyist, 73 (1940-2014)

Tony Auth, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Editorial Cartoonist, 72 (1942-2014)

Rikoran, Japanese World War II Film Idol, 94 (1920-2014)

Mildred Friedman, Curator who Elevated Design & Architecture, 85 (1929-2014)

Yitzhak Hofi, Former Israeli General & Mossad Chief, 87 (1927-2014)

Lonnie Lynn, Father of Rapper Common, 71 (1943-2014)

Isidoro Alvarez, Chairman of Spanish Retailer El Corte Ingles SA, 79 (1935-2014)

Denny Miller, Actor Best Known for 'Tarzan', 'Wagon Train' & 'Gorton' Seafood Commercials, 80 (1934-2014)

Jackie Cain, Sang in Jazz Duo Jackie & Roy, 86 (1928-2014)

George Hamilton IV, Country Music Legend, 77 (1937-2014)

Rob Bironas, Former Kicker for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, 36 (1978-2014)

Eric Lynch, Longtime Contributor to 'The Howard Stern Show', 39 (1975-2014)

Clayton Lawrence, Tuskegee Airman in World War II, 90 (1924-2014)

Will Radcliff, Creator of Famed Slush Puppie Drinks, 74 (1939-2014)

Ted Flicker, Co-Creator of Hit TV Series 'Barney Miller', 84 (1930-2014)

Victor Delano, Retired Navy Captain & Pearl Harbor Survivor, 94 (1919-2014)

Bob Klein, Longtime Radio Personality at WALK-FM, 92 (1921-2014)

Polly Bergen, Emmy Award-Winning Actress & Singer, 84 (1930-2014)

Paul Jan, World War II Veteran who Investigated TWA Flight 800 Crash in 1996, 87 (1927-2014)

Bob Luckey, Former Photographer for Newsday, 76 (1938-2014)

Dick Bloch, Democratic Party Leader & Businessman, 84 (1930-2014)

Mike Harari, Innovative Israeli Mossad Agent, 87 (1927-2014)

Sheldon Patinkin, Improvisational Comedy Giant in Chicago, 79 (1935-2014)

Joel Krog, Captain of the 1956 NCAA Final Four Team, 79 (1935-2014)

George Sluizer, Director of 'Spoorloos', 'The Vanishing' & 'Dark Blood', 82 (1932-2014)

Christopher Hogwood, Conductor & Founder of Academy of Ancient Music, 73 (1941-2014)

John Toner, Retired University of Connecticut Athletic Chief, 91 (1923-2014)

Robert E. Poli, Led 1981 Air-Traffic Strike, 78 (1936-2014)

Gerald Larue, University Professor who Debunked Religious Claims, 98 (1916-2014)

J. California Cooper, Prolific Writer, 82 (1932-2014)

Guinter Kahn, South Florida Dermatologist who Helped Fight Baldness, 80 (1934-2014)

Deborah Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, 94 (1920-2014)

John Slattery, Longtime Reporter for WCBS/2, 63 (1950-2014)

Skip E. Lowe, Host of Public-Access Cable Television Show, 85 (1929-2014)

Stephen Lorenzetti, Managed the Planning & Restoring of National Monuments, 54 (1960-2014)

John Mack Carter, Editor of Popular Women's Magazines, 86 (1928-2014)

Raul Alvarez Garin, Led Student Protests in Mexico City 1968, 73 (1941-2014)

Tom Tombrello, Caltech Physics Professor for More Than 50 Years, 78 (1936-2014)

Oleg Ivanovsky, Soviet Rocket Scientist Helped Design Sputnik Satellite, 92 (1922-2014)

Nicolae Corneanu, Romanian Orthodox Bishop, 90 (1923-2014)

Dan Goossen, Longtime Boxing Promoter, 64 (1949-2014)

Al Suomi, Played for the Chicago Black Hawks in NHL, 100 (1913-2014)

George Shuba, Member of the 1955 World Series Champion Brooklyn Dodgers, 89 (1924-2014)

Beverly Carter, Arkansas Real Estate Agent, 51 (1963-2014)

Jerrie Mock, First Woman To Fly Solo Around the World, 88 (1925-2014)

Martin Perl, Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist, 87 (1927-2014)

Lily McBeth, Teacher who Became Reluctant Symbol of Transgender Rights Movement, 80 (1934-2014)

Raymond DeVoe Jr., Newsletter Writer for 35 Years, 85 (1929-2014)

Floyd 'Creeky' Creekmore, Hailed as the World's Oldest Clown, 98 (1916-2014)

Cathy Potler, Oversaw Riker's Island & Other NYC Jails, 61 (1953-2014)

Richard Thompson, Renowned Neuroscientist, 84 (1930-22014)

Thomas Mastroianni, Acclaimed Concert Pianist, 80 (1934-2014)

Howard Paine, Noted Graphic Designer, 85 (1929-2014)

Fred Branfman, Leading Anti-War Activist in Washington, 72 (1942-2014)

James Bell, Navy Captain & Pilot Held Prisoner for 7 Years During the Vietnam War, 83 (1931-2014)

Charles Hostler, World War II Veteran & Spy, 94 (1919-2014)

Sarah Goldberg, Actress Best Known as Dr. Sarah Glass on '7th Heaven' Drama, 40 (1974-2014)


End file.
